Reintegration of Prisoners in Ireland: New Research Findings

1st September 2010

This article on the levels of reintegration support available for prisoners argues that the provision of certain support, such as accommodation, has improved significantly in recent years but it also shows that important difficulties still remain.  

Return to life outside prison walls can be a traumatic experience for released offenders. IPRT has long advocated that the provision of support is crucial to the successful transition from prison back into the community. Individual motivation also has a large part to play in combating recidivism. Initial support such as provision of information about accommodation, welfare entitlements, and assistance in gaining access to healthcare, has the potential to preclude the frustration and sense of rejection by society that may be felt when the basic needs of prisoners are not addressed. 

Considering the sharp increase in the number of people in custody in Ireland, the authors of this article contend that investment in post-release support should form the central part of the State’s response to the rise in the prison population.

Read more:

• See the full article here (page 65)
• This issue of the Irish Probation Journal also contains other informative articles, including Uncertain Futures: Men on the Margins in Limerick City (page 24) by Margaret Griffin and Patricia Kelleher, which focuses on the social exclusion experienced by young men living in disadvantaged communities. In addition, Jessica Breen's paper entitled Secondary Effects of Imprisonment: The New Direction of Prison Research (page 46) outlines the unintended effects of mass imprisonment in Ireland.