4. TYPES
OF REGIME
AND ESTABLISHMENT
SET UP
BY THE
MANAGEMENT
4.1 Regime development
Though there will continue to be a need for
segregated accommodation for politically-motivated prisonersit
is likely that, provided paramilitary violence remains at current
levels, by July 2000 this number will have been reduced to around
50 and will further reducethe focus of prison regimes should
alter. As indicated above, it is NIACRO's view that the skills
of prison officers should continue to develop to deliver programmes
aimed at concentrating more on rehabilitation as well as containment
of those convicted to custody by the courts. In association with
PBNI and other groups, we should like to see regime diversification
so that a range of programmes could be delivered as follows:
confronting violence including domestic
violence;
confronting offending behaviour;
parenting skills including an understanding
of children's development and communication skills (this is an
area in which NIACRO would be keen to be involved. Ideally, a
concentrated parenting skills programme for prisoners with children
should be conducted as part of a pre-release preparation programme);
sex offending management and treatment.
Such programmes should also include enhanced
sentence planning and an intensified preparation for release.
Included in this is the question of intensified training and placements
so that prisoners are given increased opportunity for gainful
employment on release, a factor which is universally recognised
as reducing the likelihood of recidivism. Such programmes, training
and placements should ideally begin inside prison so that this
is one less rupture to the prisoner's life on release.
In relation to the variety of programmes, the
received wisdom has been that they should not be mandatory. However,
NIACRO feels that it would be appropriate to review this approach.
It may be, for example, that some courses should be mandatory.
It may also be possible to introduce inducements for prisoners
who avail of them. In our experience, one of the difficulties
of making such programmes purely voluntary is that a "macho"
culture among prisoners prevents serious consideration of the
arguments for and against participation. If on the other hand,
everyone had to attend something, it would make it less difficult
for those who may have some interest but feel don't want to be
different from their peers.
4.2 Small secure unit for mentally-disturbed individuals
Research produced by the Voluntary Sector Sex
Offender Working Group (see paragraph 37, Sex Offenders in the
Community, NIACRO, 1997) identified the need for a small secure
unit for mentally disturbed individuals including some sex offenders
in Northern Ireland. Notwithstanding the fact that many of those
who may require to be housed in such a unit might be described
as mentally disordered, it would be important that the Prison
Service be involved in quantifying the scale of any such initiative.
Some of the inmates of such a unit will be convicted by the courts
on the basis of proven offences. However, the report mentioned
above also called for a review pending amendment of mental health
legislation so that some individuals might also end up in the
secure unit via a mental health route. It has been estimated
that such a secure unit may be required for around 20 individuals.
In NIACRO's view, collaboration between PBNI, the Prison Service
and relevant psychiatrists could lead to the establishment of
a specialised and innovative unit to deal with the difficult issue
of managing and treating dangerous sexually-abusive individuals
safely, effectively, fairly and efficiently.
4.3 Women prisoners
The numbers of women prisoners in Northern Ireland
has always been small. With the release of current IRA women prisoners,
the numbers will be even smaller. However, the smallness in numbers
should not lead to a situation where the specific needs of women
prisoners are overlooked. Rather NIACRO would see a situation
where a female unit within the overall prison establishment could
be developed as a model of excellence with an enhanced regime
catering for the women inmates. Most "ordinary"as
opposed to politically-motivatedwomen prisoners in Northern
Ireland are there as a result of poverty or fine-defaulting and
are on relatively short-term sentences. Regime development should
proceed on the basis that training for successful employment is
given a priority. Some women prisoners may also have difficulty
in parenting skills which should be catered for by way of intensive
pre-release programmes.
4.4 Other establishment considerations
4.4.1 Separation of remand and sentenced
prisoners
NIACRO believes strongly that remand and sentenced
prisoners be kept separately. This principle for prisoner accommodation
is one which should be entrenched in the new environment when
there should be over capacity of prison places for a reduced prison
population. Rather than simply closing down unused buildings,
consideration should be given to the possibility of a separate
prison for remand prisoners. Innovative use of bail support schemes
would also mean a reduced remand population (see pages 14+15,
Justice, Safety and Openness).
4.4.2 Female YOC
It is unacceptable that female children are
held in an adult prison as currently happens with the female YOC
in Maghaberry. While we understand the difficulties involved in
managing such a small population (which will routinely range from
none to two or three) of difficult girls it is NIACRO's view that
an alternative arrangement should be a priority. We further understand
that there is no disagreement in principal to alternatives from
the management of the Prison Service. Rather it is a question
of finding a practicable arrangement. Accordingly, NIACRO has
suggested the idea of non-custodial and intensive supervision
in the community. For the numbers involved, we do not think that
this is an impossibility.
4.4.3 Regional services
NIACRO believes that there is a need for local
prison establishments. Thus it would be important that Magilligan
prison remains as a key element of overall prison strategy. For
normal sentenced prisoners from the West and North of Northern
Ireland, this should be the prison in which they can expect to
serve their sentence. This would ease the burden of travel for
families.
4.5 Family contact and child visits
NIACRO has for many years been involved in the
provision of services to prisoners' families through visitors
centres and care for children inside visiting areas. Through involvement
in these services, NIACRO feels strongly that families' concerns
can often appear secondary to the requirements of safe custody
in the minds of prison managers. It is important to state, however,
that NIACRO welcomes the stress that has developed in prison policy
on the maintenance of family contacts. This should be developed
in future from two perspectives.
Firstly, maintaining and strengthening family
contacts can make the transition from prison back to society on
release less traumatic and dis-locating. In this context, the
likelihood of rehabilitation for prisoners will be improved if
family links are maintained and the prisoner has a strong network
of relationships in which to participate on release. Secondarily,
however, NIACRO feels that more stress should be placed on maintaining
relationships for the children of prisoners who are, in many ways,
innocent victims of their parent's crime.
Much research has shown that having had a parent
in jail is a common characteristic of serving prisoners. The stress
and dysfunction of arrest, trial and subsequent imprisonment can
clearly have a traumatic effect on children affected. From this
perspective, NIACRO believes that much work could be done to try
and minimise the trauma for the child. In terms of the period
of imprisonment, NIACRO is exploring ways in which quality contact
between the prisoner and her/his children can be maximised without
compromising security considerations. In particular, we feel that
the Prison Service needs to assess the possibilities of child
only visits. While child-friendly arrangements in the visiting
area have improved the visiting experience considerably for children,
the quality of the unique relationship between child and imprisoned
parent needs to be developed to allow for child only visits.
5. CONCLUSION
Clearly, one way of approaching these changes
is to imagine that there may be significant savings to be gained
for the public exchequer. In NIACRO's view, such an approach would
be unfortunate. Rather, the process of change should be viewed
as an opportunity for re-directing resources to ensure that the
Prison Service can establish and promote centres of excellence
which can be viewed as a model for other prison agencies throughout
Ireland and Britain.
Michael Ritchie
20 May 1998
ENCLOSURES[1]
Justice, Safety and Openness, NIACRO.
Sex Offenders in the Community, Voluntary
Sector Sex Offender Working Group, 1997, published by NIACRO.
Sex Offenders in the Community, Report of a
Conference held by the Voluntary Sector Sex Offender Working Group,
1997, Published by NIACRO.
Contact between prisoners and their families:
the need for child-centered visits, NIACRO draft discussion
paper, 1998.
1 Not printed. Back