Ahern Announces New Policy For Managing Sex Offenders in Prison

The policy is aimed at bringing about changes in offenders' lives that reduces risk of re-offending and enhances public protection.

Speaking at the announcement of the policy, the Minister said, "This policy reinforces commitments to meeting the concerns of victims and the general public as regards sex offenders. It will enhance public safety by ensuring that, while in prison, sex offenders will participate in therapeutic interventions relevant to their needs and risks. It is designed to ensure, as far as possible, that higher risk sex offenders will not simply serve out their sentences without engaging with relevant services."

The main innovations in the policy include:

• New initiatives to increase the range and availability of therapeutic interventions in prison and increase participation rates and effectiveness;
• Greater emphasis on individual assessments and integrated sentence planning and on offenders with higher need and risk profiles;
• Establishment of a National Centre at Arbour Hill Prison with a full range of interventions and an increase in the number of sex offenders accommodated in the prison;
• Accommodation of sex offenders also in two Satellite Centres (the Midlands and Wheatfield Prisons) where a narrower range of interventions will be available;
• Transfer of offenders into and out of the National Centre in accordance with sentence planning, demand for interventions and security imperatives;
• Establishment of a Sex Offender Unit in the Prison Service Headquarters to monitor sentence planning and liaise with other criminal justice agencies;
• Greater emphasis on the transition from prison to community.

The Minister added, "This policy forms an integral part of wider criminal justice policies designed to ensure a joined-up approach by the Irish Prison Service, the Probation Service and An Garda Síochána, working with community-based agencies, in supporting convicted sex offenders to reintegrate into society and reduce the risk of further offending.

"As I said in January when I launched the Discussion Document, I want to proceed in addressing these issues as quickly as possible and my officials are examining how best to implement the key recommendations in a timely fashion," he concluded.