Written evidence from the Northern Ireland
Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders
INTRODUCTION
NIACRO, the Northern Ireland Association for
the Care and Resettlement of Offenders, is a voluntary organisation,
working for 35 years to reduce crime and its impact on people
and communities. NIACRO provides services under the headings of:
working in communities; working with children and young people
who offend; working with offenders and ex-prisoners; working with
prisoners, their families and children; influencing policy and
practice; and applying resources effectively.
NIACRO's Vision is to be acknowledged as making
a unique contribution to the development of a society in which
the rights of everyone, including offenders, are equally respected.
NIACRO's Mission Statement is working to
reduce crime and its impact on people and communities.
NIACRO welcomes the opportunity to contribute
to this Inquiry given that many of its services and policy comment
are related to individuals who receive custodial sentences and
experience prison regimes.
BACKGROUND
Services
NIACRO manages and delivers a range of services
for prisoners and ex-prisoners.
(a) Services to families and children of
offenders.
Transport services to Magilligan and Hydebank Wood
Visitors Centres.
All come under the management of the Family Links
programme.
(b) Supporting ex-prisoners in the community
through Jobtrack (employment and training in the community), employer
placement, employer training and providing a service through the
BASE 2 project to those under threat coming out of prison.
(c) Working with prisoners through ReachOut
(an employment led project bridging prison and the community and
contributing to resettlement planning). Prisoners also use NIACRO's
Welfare Advice Services. NIACRO also contributes to supporting
effective reintegration and addressing prisoners' issues.
NIACRO bases its policy comment on its experience
of delivering services to offenders, ex-offenders, prisoners and
ex-prisoners and some of this policy comment relevant to this
Inquiry is detailed below.
Policy Comment
NIACRO has, since its inception, commented on
prison regimes and conditions. A significant amount of material
has been generated; however NIACRO notes that the Inquiry is focusing
on:
(i) the adequacy of the existing prison estate
(ii) the appropriateness of secure accommodation
and
(iii) whether the health, education and training
needs of prisoners are met.
NIACRO also notes that the Committee may examine
other issues that "may arise in the course of the Inquiry".
The consultation responses referred to below represent most but
not all of NIACRO's observations that have direct and indirect
relevance to the penal system. Copies are available to the Inquiry
on request and many can be found on the NIACRO website, www.niacro.co.uk.
(i) The adequacy of the existing prison
estate:
NIACRO's preliminary response to the Criminal
Justice Review Consultation Paper—December 1998—Ref
HDQ09119.
Proposed changes to prison parcels 2001—Ref
HDQ17590
NIACRO's Response to the Equality Impact Assessment
on Women Prisoners Ref HJJ91956
NIACRO's Submission to the Northern Ireland Affairs
Committee—New Inquiry into the separation of paramilitary
prisoners November 2003—Ref: HJJ91880. Also pre hearing
document submitted to the Committee Ref HJJ91824.
NIACRO's Response to Compact for Separated Prisoners—Pre
Release Home and Resettlement Leave Arrangements for Sentenced
Prisoners Ref HJJ91967.
NIACRO's Response to Draft Proposal for Northern
Ireland Prison Service Victim Scheme November 2002 Ref HAM19614.
NIACRO's Response to the NIPS Consultation on
Progressive Regimes and Earned Privileges Regime (PREPS)—September
2006—Ref HAR22849
NIACRO's Response to Proposal for a New Prisoner
Complaints System and the creation of a Prisoner Ombudsman—2005—Ref
HAR21074.
NIACRO's Response to Proposed changes to visiting
arrangements at HMP Maghaberry—Letter dated 4 October 2001—Ref
HJJ91052
NIACRO's Response to the NIPS Consultation of
management of foreign national prisoners—December 2006—Ref
HJJ93447.
NIACRO's Response to the needs analysis with
respect to integration of women prisoners at HMP Hydebank Wood—2005—Ref
HJJ92856.
(ii) The appropriateness of secure accommodation:
NIACRO's Response to the NIPS Consultation Paper
on Suicide and Self Harm Prevention Management 2004—Ref
HJJ92028.
NIACRO's Response to the NIPS Consultation on
Policy and Guidance for the operational deployment of PAVA—hand
held personal incapicitant spray—December 2006.
NIACRO's Response to the Review of separated
regime—February 2006—Ref HAR22396.
NIACRO's Response to Prisoner Ombudsman Review
of the Use of Passive Drugs Dogs—Ref HJJ93338.
(iii) Whether the health, education and
training needs of prisoners are met:
NIACRO's Response to new draft smoking policy
for NIPS—March 2007.
NIACRO's Response to living fuller lives—Bamford
Review of Mental Health—September 2006.
NIACRO's Response to HSSPS New Strategic Reaction
for Alcohol and Drugs—March 2006?
NIACRO's Response to NIPS policy on alcohol and
substance misuse—October 2006—Ref HAR22933.
NIACRO's Response to Bamford Review Forensic
Services Working Committee—May 2006—Ref HJJ93242.
Evaluation of Personal Progression System an
employment led resettlement programme—2005.
(iv) Other:
NIACRO's Response to the Reform of the Law on
Rehabilitation of Offenders—Ref HJJ91838.
NIACRO's Response to Amendments to the Rehabilitation
of Offenders (Exceptions) Order (NI) 1979—July 2006—Ref
HAR22714.
NIACRO's Response to Breaking the Circle "A
Review of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act"—September
2002—Ref HAM19096.
NIACRO's Response to Consultation Paper on Minimum
terms in mandatory life sentence cases—Ref HJJ92068.
NIACRO's Response to The Criminal Justice Review
Consultation—December 1998—Ref HDQ09119
NIACRO's Response to Consultation Paper on Minimum
terms in mandatory life sentence cases—Ref HJJ 92068
NIACRO's Response to the Voting Rights of convicted
prisoners detained within the UK—March 2007.
NIACRO's Response to the Juvenile Centre Rules
2007 and JJC Order (Supervision) Rules—March 2007.
NIACRO's Response to the management of mothers
and babies—October 2006—Ref HJJ93546.
NIACRO's Response to proposals to amend the Rehabilitation
of Offenders (Exceptions) Order (NI) 1979 (Criminal Law Branch)—August
2006.
The organisation's newsletter, NIACRO News,
has material of relevance to the Inquiry. In particular, issue
13, Winter 2005-06 included an interview with the head of the
Prison Service, Robin Masefield, and issue 17, Spring 2007, includes
an analysis of the views of the NI political parties represented
in the (previous) Assembly on a range of criminal justice matters.
As can be seen from the above NIACRO has a significant
interest in the workings of the NI Prison Service and related
activities. The organisation's interest is located in the need
to develop an effective resettlement strategy that actually addresses
rates of recidivism and re-offending, and ultimately contributes
to a reduction in crime and therefore a reduction of victims of
crime.
The constituent parts of the criminal justice
system do not necessarily have the reduction of crime as an ultimate
priority. Some criminal justice agencies seem to operate independently
of each other. For example the review of 50% remission is going
to mean an increase in the prison population unless changes are
made in the existing prisoner profile. Specifically, with regard
to NIPS projected planning of prison population and successful
implementation of its current Resettlement Strategy there appear
to be differences that need to be addressed. NIACRO has made the
point to NIPS that an effective Resettlement Strategy contradicts
the planned increase in the prison population.
We now have an opportunity, in the context of
the devolution of criminal justice matters and the establishment
of a Ministry of Justice, to have a root and branch review of
prison and its function.
The consultations referred to above are only
a sample of NIACRO's concerns. NIPS has a responsibility to deliver
services on three fronts—security, care and resettlement.
NIPS is in a period of transition, having been at centre of the
conflict here in Northern Ireland. In many respects NIPS has many
of the features of a penal system that developed during the conflict.
The service seems to have difficulty at present distinguishing
between the resources applied to security, care and resettlement.
It is important that effective care and resettlement programmes
are given the priority they need if reconviction rates are to
fall.
NIACRO is, obviously, keen that the contribution
of the voluntary sector to prison care and resettlement be recognised
and extended; we welcomed the report of Criminal Justice Inspection
in November 2006 which concluded that the sector made an important
and significant contribution, and "does extremely good work"
in pioneering new approaches and helping official agencies.
The Inquiry is focusing on secure accommodation,
health, education and training needs of prisoners and other matters
as may arise. This is a vast area and NIACRO has much to say about
all these and other related matters. NIACRO believes that prisoners
are citizens and should be treated as such. Not only do prisoners
lose their liberty which is the sentence of a court but they also
lose much more. They lose opportunities to make a living, they
lose connections with family and/or loved ones, they lose training
and employment opportunities and the reality is that in many cases
they acquire or develop negative behaviours such as substance
and alcohol addictions. In some cases they develop criminal behaviours
which are demonstrated within the prison system and particularly
after release. In NIACRO's view we need to, and have the opportunity
to, have an in depth examination as to what we as a society require
from the penal system.
The level of scrutiny that NIPS is subject to
from a variety of sources is, in NIACRO's view, testimony to the
fact that the regime and the establishments are having to play
"catch up" in terms of standards of practice. This Inquiry
presents us with an opportunity to have an overarching review
and ultimately to have a penal system which works effectively
with prisoners as well as other elements of the criminal justice
system, which has greater connectedness to other constituencies
and communities, and which is fit for purpose.
Pat Conway
Director of Services
Northern Ireland Association for the Care and Resettlement
of Offenders
27 April 2007
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