Written evidence from the Life Sentence
Review Commissioners
INTRODUCTION
The Life Sentence Review Commissioners are an
independent statutory body of Commissioners taking their statutory
authority from the Life Sentence (Northern Ireland) Order 2001.
In discharging their functions under this order
the Commissioners have regard to:
(a) the need to protect the public from
serious harm from life sentence prisoners; and
(b) the desirability of—
(i) preventing the commission by life prisoners
of further offences; and
(ii) securing the rehabilitation of life
prisoners.
This response is based therefore on the knowledge
and experience of the Commissioners since the commencement of
the legislation in respect of Life Sentenced Prisoners in Northern
Ireland. The Commissioners seek to update and extend their knowledge
on a regular basis and, in so doing, have an awareness of aspects
of the wider arrangements that pertain to the prison population
of Northern Ireland. The response draws on examples from other
regimes where appropriate.
RESPONSE
The Commissioners welcome this opportunity to
respond to the Inquiry into the Northern Ireland Prison Service
by the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee.
The response is concerned with the:
(i) adequacy and appropriateness of the existing
prison estate for the secure accommodation of Northern Ireland's
prisoners;
(ii) health needs of prisoners; and
(iii) education and training needs of prisoners.
There is inevitably some overlap between each
of these but the response will focus on the individual aspect
as far as is possible. The Commissioners have already responded
to a review of the regime for Life Sentenced Prisoners, a copy
of which is submitted now as supplementary material.
Prison estate
The Commissioners are (concerned about the adequacy
of the current facilities for assessing the risk factors of Life
Sentenced Prisoners as they approach the end of tariff. The present
Prisoner Assessment Unit is located in the former staff locker
room on Belfast Prison and the Commissioners understand that this
site may be redeveloped for another purpose. While the Commissioners
commend the opening of Martin House and Wilson House as a progressive
stage for Life Sentenced Prisoners, they are concerned that the
prison estate does not allow for a phased approach to testing
prisoners under conditions other than in secure accommodation
or in the Prisoner Testing Unit as there is no open prison in
Northern Ireland. The existing prison estate in Northern Ireland
is not comparable in this respect with those in England where
open prisons are accessible, as appropriate, to the wider prison
population.
The Commissioners are concerned that a disproportionate
amount of existing resources are used to accommodate and manage
"separated prisoners".
They are aware that facilities exist within
prisons to promote and focus on a more appropriate environment
for child-centred visits and commend the work being done in that
area.
There is an increasing ageing prison population
which includes Life Sentenced Prisoners. The existing prison estate
will need to address the physical needs of such a group.
Health Needs
The Commissioners welcome the transfer of the
responsibility for prison healthcare to the Department of Health,
Social Services and Public Safety. This should enable the assessed
needs, both physical and mental, of all prisoners to be met in
accordance with all relevant standards. In particular, the Commissioners
welcome the recommendations of the review of Forensic Services
(October 2006) which formed part of the Bamford Review of Mental
Health and Learning Disability (Northern Ireland) and hope that
these will facilitate a more strategic approach to the management
of mental health issues and their link with offending behaviour.
The scarce psychiatric resources appear to understandably
concentrate on major mental illness such as psychoses. There is
concern that matters of mental wellbeing, such as anxiety and
depression, are not addressed. The extent to which the psychology
service and prison community nursing service are organised to
meet this need is unclear.
The Commissioners would welcome more creative
use of resources in respect of Health and Mental Promotion such
as drug (including prescription drugs) and alcohol awareness.
Commissioners commend the report from the Bamford Review entitled
Mental Health Improvement and Well-Being—a Personal, Public
& Political Issue (May 2006)
The Commissioners note that at present there
is little if any input into the assessment and management of prisoners
with a personality disorder. This needs to be addressed in terms
of specific difficulties eg self-harm and impulsivity at an individual
level to reduce risk. As a first step the Commissioners commend
the recent opening of the Reach facility in Maghaberry Prison
which is a 24 bed unit located to house prisoners who have personality
disorders and for which the staff received specialised training,
The Commissioners are aware of and commend the
Safer Custody initiative in Maghaberry prison which monitors life
prisoners for signs of isolation, indications of self-harm and
other detrimental traits so they can be addressed immediately.
Education and Training Needs
The Commissioners recognise that resources are
finite, if not diminishing, and welcome such innovations that
arise from the creative use of existing resources. Examples of
these were recently shared with the Commissioners but they are
also aware that these may not extend to the Life Sentenced Prisoner
population. In addition, the increasing ageing population will
make demands on resources as education and training may need to
be tailored to the meet the needs of an older prisoner.
The Commissioners are of the opinion that early
development of a Life Sentence Plan is essential to meet the personal
and crime-related needs of each prisoner. It is important that
such engagement is supported by the "Personal Officer"
arrangement.
The Commissioners are aware that formal programmes
are over-subscribed but that a personal development plan for each
prisoner, regularly and formally reviewed, might allow for engagement
other than in formal programmes. In addition, existing programmes
should be adapted to allow for engagement according to the individual's
educational capability.
A continuum of integrated education and life
and work skills is required, with a focus on literacy and numeracy
as appropriate, right along to opportunities for higher education
and vocational or professional skills development. Such an approach
may require a review of the use of existing resources as well
as the potential for the further development of in-reach and out-reach
opportunities.
In preparing this response the Commissioners
have set out to identify both issues of concern to them in their
work and sought to acknowledge good practice and recent initiatives.
However, the Commissioners would emphasise the need to continue
to resource these initiatives in future.
Moya Cushley
Secretary to the Commissioners
Life Sentence Review Commissioners
25 April 2007
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