Examination of Witnesses (Question 180-182)
MR BRIAN
COULTER AND
MR DAVID
MCCALL
6 JUNE 2007
Q180 Dr McDonnell: I am particularly
concerned about the mental health situation and I am probing a
little as to how the existing regime for prisoners falls short
in terms of mental health. It is my impression that many prisoners
have mental health problems and perhaps that is one of the contributory
factors as to why they are there in the first place. It is also
my impression that maybe there is not enough attention given to
them in relation to mental health?
Mr Coulter: Yes, I think that
is widely recognised and it is a view I would agree with. The
development of a therapeutic unit within Maghaberry Prison is,
I think, a major step forward, but I am aware that the Prison
Service has still some difficulties in recruiting some of the
expertise by way of psychologist staff to that unit. I think the
big unanswered problem in our prisons in the mental health area
is around the question of personality disorders. That is probably
the biggest problem, as opposed to acute mental illness, which
the service has to deal with. We ask a huge amount of our prison
staff, I think, to cope with some of the types of personality
disorders we have. The Bamford Review of mental health in Northern
Ireland recognises this and tries to address it, but of course
we do not have the appropriate legislation to enable the kind
of care and treatment to be offered to such people. As you quite
rightly imply, the resources are scarce anyway, both within the
Health Service and within the Prison Service healthcare side.
Q181 Dr McDonnell: What training
would you suggest the staff get with prisoners and others?
Mr Coulter: The Minister for Prisons
at the moment, Paul Goggins MP, has twice recently in my presence
referred to prison officers not so much as turnkeys but more rehabilitation
officers. I think the latter requires at least training in the
very basics of recognising the problems they are having to deal
with, what is underpinning them and what might be the appropriate
responses to those. I think the Prison Service is trying hard
to deal with that issue of training and is investing more in staff
training. I can say that, for example, that prison college staff
have come and talked to my staff and talked to my office, so in
that sense it is a learning organisation. It is willing to learn
in terms of new rules and new responsibilities. I think we owe
it to the prison staff to ensure that they do get that sort of
very elementary training in terms of the types of problems which
mental illness might present in the prison population and what
is the best evidence in terms of how these can be most successfully
managed.
Q182 Chairman: Thank you very much
indeed. That is probably a very good note on which to move to
the prison officers, but are there any other final points you
wish to make before you go this afternoon?
Mr Coulter: I am not sure that
there are, Chairman. I mentioned about the issue of statutory
footing earlier. I do not want to go over that again, but a number
of the issues I have raised, Chairman, I hope will have also gone
to the point of what I see as some evidence of a policy vacuum
within the NIO in relation to the development of my office, or
the issues to do with scrutiny. Others will speak for themselves,
but I will not dwell on that, Chairman.
Chairman: That is very helpful. What
I cannot tell you is what the Committee will recommend, obviously,
but what I can tell you is that we will certainly address these
issues and come to some conclusion when we have had a chance to
discuss it, but it is very helpful to have your clear evidence
and your advice. If there are other points which occur to you
on the flight back, or perhaps while you are listening to the
next session, please let our Clerk know. Thank you very much indeed,
and, Mr McCall, although you have not actually made a contribution,
I am sure you have been an enormous moral support. Thank you for
coming.
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