Parliamentary Question: Sex Offenders

13th February 2001

243. Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of sex offenders released on completion of their sentences in 1999 and 2000; and the number of these who completed specialised rehabilitation programmes. [3729/01]
 
Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue): There were 88 sex offenders released on completion of their sentences during 1999 and a further 117 released in 2000. Five of those released in 1999 and six released in 2000 had completed the specialised sex offender group treatment programme in Arbour Hill Prison.

As I have explained to the House on previous occasions, there are actually four forms of direct therapeutic intervention available to sex offenders within the Irish prison system at present - individual counselling from the Department's psychology service and from the Probation and Welfare Service, the multi-disciplinary thinking skills group work programme in Cork, Arbour Hill and the Curragh, the intensive offence focused group work programme - this has been in operation in Arbour Hill Prison since 1994 and was introduced in the Curragh earlier this year - and the psychiatric service which provides extensive support to prisoners in this category.

While it is not possible to accurately quantify participation, many of those released would have availed of one or more of the forms of intervention referred to above. I am also advised that the prisoners who were released in the period in question included prisoners who decided not to participate in the sex offenders treatment programme and prisoners who, after professional assessment, were deemed not to be suitable to participate in it or where it was determined that it was beyond their ability to participate in it. I have asked the director general of the Prisons Service to ensure that the treatment of sex offenders throughout the prison system is given priority attention. A steering group to put in place multi-disciplinary prisoner programmes has been established by the director general of the prisons service. This group, chaired by a senior prison governor, comprises representatives from my Department, senior prisons service management, the probation and welfare service, the psychology service, prisons education and the Prison Officers' Association. Its first task will be to oversee the establishment of a new intensive rehabilitative programme for sex offenders. This programme will be delivered by a multidisciplinary team consisting of prison officers, psychologists, probation and welfare staff and teachers. To this end the Prisons Service has recruited the services of a research psychologist to assist in the development of this programme. This work is expected to be completed in May this year.

I would like to add that a major review of the effectiveness of the intensive Arbour Hill sex offender programme is currently under way between the psychology service of my Department and the department of psychology, University College Dublin.