Parliamentary Question: Prisoners with Learning Disabilities

6th March 2003

45. Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans there are to provide extra resources for the rehabilitation of prisoners with learning disabilities. [2989/03]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. McDowell): I am informed by the Director General of the Irish Prison Service that routine medical, probation and education assessments at committal result in prisoners with learning disability coming to notice early in their time in custody. Such prisoners are provided with a range of supports appropriate to their circumstances - including referral for psychological assessment as required and special arrangements within education units and workshops.
As regards such prisoners who may be referred to the Prison psychology service, that service does not treat persons with learning difficulties as a separate group. However, such prisoners can avail of the service in the same way as other offenders, both in terms of their efforts to come to terms with and to cope with their incarceration and in terms of addressing their needs around their offending. As necessary, on a case by case basis, the psychology service does make contact with community-based services in supporting the reintegration of offenders back into the community. This would include voluntary and statutory services working within the learning difficulties sector.

The prison education service, which involves a partnership between the Irish Prison Service and a range of educational agencies including the VECs, provides a broad programme of education for prisoners following an adult education approach. Education units are in operation in all prisons and places of detention with the exception of Cloverhill Prison where the arrangements for education are not yet complete. Participation in education in Irish prisons - over 50% - is high by international standards and there is substantial flexibility in education delivery, with significant provision for one-to-one teaching which is particularly relevant to prisoners with learning disability. Under the programme for Government, there will be particular emphasis on tackling illiteracy and lack of educational accomplishment among prisoners and, in this regard, work is ongoing in the Irish Prison Service in relation to the following key targets in the educational area, as set forth in the Prison Service strategy statement: maintain the prisoner participation rate in education at 50% against the background of increases in the prisoner population; and review the education curriculum to ensure its continuing relevance to prisoner needs