21st February 2002
29. Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if the Government accepts the recommendations of the NESF report on the integration of prisoners; his plans to implement the recommendations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6090/02]
Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue): The broad thrust of this report is wholly consistent with Government policy and with the strategy statement for the Prison Service published with my approval in October 2001.
On 22 January the Taoiseach launched the NESF report. In keeping with its mandate regarding social inclusion and equality, the key focus of the report is on those prisoners who are from disadvantaged backgrounds, are at high risk of marginalisation on release back into mainstream society, are repeat offenders or are at risk of re-offending.
The report's overall conclusion is that key institutional mechanisms/models to spearhead and ensure effective follow through on its recommendations are urgently required. These include: a Prison Service reintegration group at national level for strategic policy purposes; an interagency group in each prison to develop and implement integrated approaches; and a positive sentence management plan for each prisoner.
These new structures would be linked up and co-ordinated with one another, with the central focus of all on the re-integration of prisoners. Apart from the input from the various agencies within the remit of my Department, the Deputy will be aware that several other Departments and agencies, as well as voluntary bodies, have key roles in providing services and supports to help prisoners successfully re-integrate back into society.
Interagency working, the multi-team approach and the elaboration of positive sentence management are each concepts with which my Department, the Prison Service and the probation and welfare service are already familiar. Earlier I referred to the Prison Service's strategy statement 2001 to 2003. This statement sets out, in considerable detail, the strategic work programme on which the service has already embarked to dovetail these integration and rehabilitation concepts into its daily workings and that of each institution.
The Deputy will be aware that the National Development Plan 2000-2006 identifies crime prevention as a social inclusion issue. It details how offenders are generally from disadvantaged groups in society, likely to reoffend and to be further marginalised as a result. It is my Department's overall aim to provide and maintain a secure, efficient, and progressive system of containment and rehabilitation for offenders. The NESF report provides a timely and well researched adjunct to the development of this policy aim.
The Prison Service reintegration group recommended by the NESF has already been established. It is under the chairmanship of the assistant secretary on the equality side of my Department.
Respect for rights in the penal system with prison as a last resort.