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Christina Gibney
13333206
Department of Social Policy (SP301)
“The Modernization of the Irish Prison Service – Exploring the
Correct Measure for Adequate Prisoner Rehabilitation”
Project Supervisor: Tonye Olatunde
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SOCIAL POLICY
Acknowledgments
Completing this dissertation has been a challenging but rewarding experience. I would like to extend
my appreciation to my project supervisor Dr. Tonye Olatunde. Through her expertise this project was
successfully completed. This project would not have been fruitful without her ongoing support and
assistance. I would like to thank Dr. Adam Smith who assisted me at the early stages of the project. A
thank you to all my lecturers in the Social Science department who assisted me in any way throughout
my dissertation.
I would also like to thank all my friends and family for their ongoing assistance. My family and friend’s
loyalty and support has been greatly appreciated.
Last but not lease I would like to take this opportunity to thank my particpant who took part in my
project. Without his support I would not have had a completed questionnaire from the Irish Prison
Service.
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Table of Contents
Acknowledgments...............................................................................................................................ii
1.1 Rationale and Research Question..............................................................................................1
1.2 Aims and Objectives of the Research....................................................................................1
1.2.1 Aim ........................................................................................................................................1
1.2.2 Objectives..............................................................................................................................1
1.3 Layout of Following Chapters ...............................................................................................2
2.1 Introduction.............................................................................................................................3
2.2 The formation of rehabilitation in Ireland ...........................................................................3
2.2.1 18th century Imprisonment.................................................................................................3
2.2.3 19th
century Imprisonment..................................................................................................5
2.2.4 20th
century Imprisonment..................................................................................................5
2.3 The biggest problem in contemporary society Irish Prisons – Overcrowded prisons......6
2.4 Educating prisoner’s...............................................................................................................7
2.5 The Probation Service – Enhancing Offender Rehabilitation ............................................8
2.6 Integrated Sentence Management .........................................................................................9
2.7 ‘Giving up Crime Method’...................................................................................................10
2.8 Critiques Perspective on prison rehabilitation...................................................................10
2.9 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................11
3.1 Introduction and Research Question ..................................................................................12
3.2 Research Methodologies.......................................................................................................12
3.3 Documentary Analysis..........................................................................................................12
3.4 Short Questionnaire..............................................................................................................13
3.5 Study sample..........................................................................................................................13
3.6 Recruitment...........................................................................................................................14
3.7 Data Collection Methods ......................................................................................................14
3.8 Limitations.............................................................................................................................14
3.9 Research Ethics .....................................................................................................................15
3.9.1 Plagiarism...........................................................................................................................15
3.9.2 Codes of ethical practice relating to intellectual ownership...........................................15
3.9.3 Ethical research in practice and the problems of ‘inside’ research ..............................15
3.9.4 Publishing findings.............................................................................................................15
3.9.5 No harm to participant......................................................................................................15
4.0 Methodological Limitations .................................................................................................16
4.1 Reflection on research experience .......................................................................................16
5.1 Introduction...........................................................................................................................17
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5.2 Increasing Re-offending numbers .......................................................................................17
5.3 Overcrowded Irish Prisons ..................................................................................................18
5.4 Availability of ISM to Selected Offenders Only.................................................................19
5.5 “Giving up Crime – An Inspiring Method” : Dutch Prisons ............................................20
5.6 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................23
Chapter 5. Conclusion...........................................................................................................................24
Bibliography .........................................................................................................................................26
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Chapter 1. Introduction
1.1 Rationale and Research Question
The primary aim of this research project was to explore the extent to which the Irish Prison
Service have contributed to successful rehabilisation of prisoner’s in recent years. This research
project aims to explore the care and rehabilitation unit within the Irish prison service to analyse
the optimal programmes for rehabilitation. Prisoner care and rehabilitation is a core aim of the
Irish Prison Service (Irish Prison Service 2012). The issue with Irish prisons is that it is seen
as a place to keep burglars off the street. According to The Irish Times, Minister for Justice,
Fitzgerald would lock up re-offending burglars for longer periods of time … her public
commitment “to keep burglars off the street” is popular with those people who see prisons as
places of punishment, rather than rehabilitation (2015). However, this should not be the
resolution. It will not reduce crime (The Irish Times 2015).
This research question explored the extent to which the Irish Prison Service and its associates
have acknowleged this issue. It discovered possible policies and management plans that are
currently in action in Irish prisons.
1.2 Aims and Objectives of the Research
1.2.1 Aim
The primary aim of this research project was to identify if the Irish Prison Service have
commited to the goal of the Irish prison service as outlined above.
1.2.2 Objectives
To accomplish an achievable research project three main objectives were explored. The first
objective was to unravell the prison history of reform. This objective gave a clear understanding
of the change in defining imprisonment and punishment. However, even though it has been a
beneficial change today’s prison service is not giving one hundred percent commitment.
The second objective was to discover the current programmes and policies in Irish prisons.
Discovering Irish policies and programmes were an important objective to unfold. It gave a
deeper understanding of the Irish context It forumalted a framework to follow and it created
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awarness of gaps in the current programmes and policies. Through researching existing
literature on prison programmes and policies that are currently in place identified the specific
documents that is in relation to prisoner rehabilitation.
The third objective is based on an international context. Through researching literature outside
of the Irish context information was gathered on two other EU countries. Their specific method
used to prepare prisoners for release was explored. This was an important research section as
it concluded whether the Irish prison service should look into other methods of preparing
prisoner’s for release into society.
1.3 Layout of Following Chapters
The literature review will be a detailed review of the empirical literature that is available in
relation to the current chosen topic on prison rehabilitation. The literature review will include
a review of prison history since the 18th
century up to the 21st
century based on a conceptual
framework.. It will discuss policy and mamangment plans that are currently in the Irish prison
service. In an international context the literature review will discuss another European countries
prison rehabilisation method. Lastly, it will give a discussion on critiques perspective on prison
rehabilisation.
Chapter three is the methodology section. The methodology consists of a discussion on the data
collection methods and preperation used for current research project. It outlines the
methodologies used, the study sample, recruitment of the study sample and finally it discussed
the ethical considerations.
The fourth chapter is the findings. The findings chapter is a discussion of what was gathered
from the data colletion. It is supported by references from the literature review in chapter two.
It highlights the contribution of this specific project to the current issue and hopefully add to
the research that has been done on the topic. Recommendations aimed at the Irish prison service
have been given in this section. The recommendations are based on what was gathered from
the findings. Lastly it gave the author an opportunity to refect on the research project
experience.
Lastly, chapter five is the conclusion of the research project. This consists of a brief reflection
on the research project concluding the main points.
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Chapter 2. Literature Review
2.1 Introduction
Rehabilitation is a vital method of correction in prisons. Rehabilitation was a central feature of
corrections in the first half of the twentieth century (Huebner 2009). It is a method of
preparation of prisoners for a crime free release from prison. According to Huebner (2009), the
favourability of rehabilitation programming declined in the 1970’s and 1980’s but has regained
favour in recent years. This chapter is a review of existing literature on the modernization of
the Irish prison system with a purpose of preparing prisoners for their release from prison. It
begins with an exploration of the history of prison reform to give an understanding of the
framework for the topic in a wider context. It explores the numerous methods that the Irish
prison service have considered or have already implemented for the optimal method of
correction. This chapter concludes with current policies and management strategies in an
international context that are present in prisons. Despite this, the research question to be
explored is which of these management and planning are optimal for prisoner rehabilitation?
Is the purpose of incarceration to punish wrongdoing, or to protect society from dangerous
individuals? Is it to reform those who stray beyond the bounds of acceptable behaviour? (Snow
2015).
To this current day and age, a debate on how to define the correct punishment for prisoners is
an ongoing disagreement. There are literature that answer these questions regarding how
prisons are defined from the 18th
century up until the 21st
century. From gathering literature, it
is quite clear that prisons today are seen as a method of reforming the human mind than in the
18th
and 19th
century. There has been significant reform of punishment in prisons since the 18th
century.
2.2 The formation of rehabilitation in Ireland
2.2.1 18th century Imprisonment
In order to understand how prison reform has changed, it is important to understand how far
the prison service has come in terms of modernisation. Therefore this section will discuss
prison reform which will help to identify to what extent prisons are fulfilling a duty of
rehabilitation. It will discuss vital prison regimes and policies that exist today (that were not
around in the 18th
and 19th
century) to reduce recidivism and re-offending.
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In the 18th
century, prisons were under-developed and known as a dumping ground for the poor
who were awaiting trial or transportation. The demand to reform the prisons grew throughout
the 18th
century (Thomson 2016). Prison reformer John Howard came to Ireland the following
decade. He was appalled by the prisons in Ireland. He noted that corruption was rife amongst
the public institutions and many were “totally inattentive” of the gaols. He said that he had
never seen prisons or abuses worse than those in Ireland (Thomson 2016). Many gaols were
effectively dungeons, privately-run dumping grounds for the manorial and debtors courts
(Thomson 2016). Transportation was an alternative punishment to hanging, convicted
criminals were transported to the colonies to serve their prison sentence … it had the
advantages of removing the criminal from society (E2BN (2006). This idea of removing
criminals from society marks the difference between the 18th
century prisons and todays
modernization of prison services that are aimed to reform prisoners for re-entry into society
and thus, meet the needs of the community. Transportation ended with the close of the
Revolutionary War.
The drive to improve the prison service in the 18th
century was marked by the 1786 Regulation
of Prisons Bill. The bill established a prison inspector who would be appointed by the Grand
Jury. Prisons should be inspected at least once every two years and budgets were to be agreed
to feed the prisoners and maintain the prisons (Scottish Publisher DC Thomson 1965). Ireland’s
prisons finally became under state control in the Irish Prisons Act 1826 with the setting up of
the Prisons Boards (Scottish Publisher DC Thomson 1965). After the end of transportation as
a method of punishment, Ireland was left with a new popular punishment called the houses of
correction also known as Bridewells prison. This type of prison was developed with a more
positive attitude than that of removing criminals from society, instead if a prisoner was sent to
Bridewells, this gave them the chance to repay their debts as debtors rather than being called
criminals. However there was of course a punishment for criminals who conducted crimes such
as prostitution, theft or disorderly behaviour. This punishment was known as hard labour. Hard
labour was a sentence of time to a work house where inmates performed manual labour all day,
every day (Wilson and Ridner, 2003). It was during this time that an English philosopher and
social reformer Jeremy Bentham advocated for prison improvements. Bentham supported strict
treatment for prisoners but safe and sanitary conditions. Bentham also advocated humane
treatment for prisoners and a move away from corporal or capital punishments (Wilson and
Ridner, 2003).
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The Age of Enlightenment followed after Bentham’s avocations. The 18th
century’s Age of
Enlightenment played the most significant role in prison reform … it was a time when people
began to value reason and rationality (Wilson and Ridner, 2003). The Enlightenment was the
best thing that could have happened to criminals. They were no longer thought to be
fundamentally flawed but widely thought to be capable of correction and rehabilitation (Wilson
and Ridner, 2003). It was after this era that prisons became under strict regulation with a new
view of reforming the soul of criminals rather than the punishment of the body. The first prison,
operating under this new system, opened in Pennsylvania in 1789 on the site of an older jail
(Wilson and Ridner, 2003).
2.2.3 19th century Imprisonment
The 19th
century marked the beginning of Bentham’s panopticon prison, also known as the
solitary system which was adopted in Pennsylvania and the Eastern State Penitentiary in
Philadelphia (Wilson and Ridner, 2003). The panopticon meant that the power was in the
guard’s possession, that all cells were visible from a central guard system. This nature of power
within society can be illustrated by Foucault. He wrote that power “reaches into the very grain
of individuals, touches their bodies and inserts itself into their actions and attitudes, their
discourses, learning processes and everyday lives” (Foucault 1980,30). Foucault did not see
this notion of power relations as a negative for society. For him, power was a producer of
reality: “It produces domains of objects and rituals of truth” (Foucault 1977, 194). In other
words, power can be seen as a positive impact upon how humans should behave in society. So
it is through the panopticon that power relations structures prisoner’s behaviours that will be
accepted and beneficial for society as a whole, prior to their release from prison.
Towards the end of the 19th
century, the purpose of the prison time shifted slightly to include
deterrence, the goal was still to rehabilitate offenders and return them to society, but also to
prevent criminal acts and reoffending (Wilson and Ridner, 2003)
2.2.4 20th century Imprisonment
The 20th
century marked an important era for prison reform. The prison reform movement
began in the late 19th
century and continued throughout the 20th
century. This reform movement
aimed to end the torture and inhumane treatment of prisoners (Wilson and Ridner, 2003). The
conflicting struggle that reformers come in contact with is the question of how to punish
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criminals while protecting their humanity; how to protect the public while also allowing
prisoners to re-enter society after their sentences end and how to satisfy crime victims' desire
for justice and revenge while also giving convicts a second chance to live freely and abide by
the law (Cengage Learning 2016).
The beginning of the prison reform movement highlights the difficulties and conflicts regarding
the value of imprisonment, it was the mark of a new, more beneficial experience for criminals.
Torture and inhumane treatment were subsided with prison facilitates and services that
improved their chances of successful rehabilitation. In American society, prisons have multiple
functions. Incarceration is regarded as a punishment for criminal offenders, taking away their
liberty and their ability to control their own lives, such punishment is said to give crime victims,
their families, and society a sense of retribution, or justice … secondly, locking up criminals
also serves to protect the public.
However, throughout history many criminal justice experts have viewed incarceration as an
opportunity to provide counselling and training to offenders so that they can be reformed or
changed for the better and rehabilitated, or prepared for a return to normal life (Cengage
Learning 2016). The reform movement has since been supported by various governmental
organisations to protect criminal’s humanity, by equipping the prison system with services to
educate and reform prisoners towards more positive working aspirations which will meet the
modern needs of the community after their release.
2.3 The biggest problem in contemporary society Irish Prisons – Overcrowded
prisons
Existing literature on Irish prisons conclude that one of the largest problematic issues the face
Irish prisons is overcrowding. Overcrowding is a major implication for the management and
effectiveness of prisoner preparation and sentence planning. This is because overcrowding of
prisons result in shorter sentences.
The United Nation (UN) has strongly criticised Ireland’s prison service. In a strong statement
the UN cited the “chronic” overcrowding and the “inhuman “practice of slopping out (The
Journal 2014). The UN criticised Ireland’s prisons for the lack of acknowledgment to the poor
resources and accommodation for prisoners. The United Nations Human Rights Committee
said Ireland is overusing prison as a punishment, noting that last year the vast majority of
prisoners – 89% - were serving sentences of less than 12 months (The Journal 2014).
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According to a Report on Justice, Defence and Equality 2013, in light of the recommendations,
an emphasis is strongly portrayed that any offender sentenced to six months or less is likely to
be released after two or three weeks due to overcrowding, making sentence planning very
difficult (Oireachtas 2013). This makes it very difficult to educate prisoners and create plans
for accommodation and employment after their release.
2.4 Educating prisoner’s
The method of incarceration that is illustrated above during the 18th
and 19th
century have
significantly changed. Literature behind rehabilitation theory suggests that the means used to
achieve reform in prisons have varied over time, beginning with silence, isolation, labor, and
punishment then moving onto medically based interventions including drugs … more recently,
educational, vocational, and psychologically based programmes (Campbell 2010: 831). These
programmes have been put forward typically to reform prisoners during their sentence.
However a short sentence makes it almost impossible for prison officers to perform these tasks.
The power relations that were present in the panopticon were the prisoners mind, behaviours
and actions were deliberately controlled by the prison service have transformed to modernised
power structures such as the power of the education system in preparing prisoners for release.
According to Warner power can be seen in contemporary society through the reformation and
rehabilitation of prisoners. Warner was the Education Coordinator in the Irish prison system
for nearly 30 years until 2009 (Warner 2014). An example of the shift in prisoner reform can
be illustrated by Warner.
In a study conducted by Warner ‘From scumbag to student’: The power of prison education
(2014) it concluded that the structure of power is not seen in light of a panopticon based model
in prisons, it is in fact seen in the modernised prison services that are intended to reform the
soul. Michael* completed his Leaving Certificate while serving a four-year drugs-related
sentence in a Dublin prison (Warner 2014). Participating in education in the prisons service
‘got the ball rolling’ for Michael*. Fortunately Michael* now has a master’s degree. However
this does not count for all prisoners. Michael* was fortunate to have four years to be educated.
Prisoners who are sentenced to shorter sentences for example six months have a very slight
chance of being chosen to be considered for education.
In line with this issue, Warner argues; relative to the overall cost of the prison system, education
is minor really, but it has been cut disproportionately in recent years in relation to other
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activities (Warner 2014). All prisoner’s right to education are not being fully met. According
to Citizens Information (2014), prisoners have a right to education whilst in prison. In contrast
the study conducted by Warner argues the cuts have affected the rights of prisoners. This effects
prisoner’s opportunities of seeking employment prior to their release from prison. It is a vicious
cycle that lacks attention. If prisoners are being locked up, with little or no chances of being
educated and up-skilled during their sentence, the chances of reoffending increases. Warner
concludes on a statement; you’ve spent all this money to lock them up in a destructive
environment, if they’re ready for something like Open University it should be there for them
(2014).
2.5 The Probation Service – Enhancing Offender Rehabilitation
The Probation Service’ goal is to contribute to creating safer communities and fewer victims
through offender rehabilitation (Irish Probation Service 2014). In 2014, €10.7 million of the
Probation Service’ overall budget was allocated to fund a range of Community Based
Organisations (CBOs) (Irish Probation Service 2014). This was in the hope that these
community based organisations would provide an adequate service that would provide skills
and knowledge to enhance prisoners’ opportunities of seeking employment after their release.
Amongst the services that are provided is education. However a major problem regarding
insufficient education opportunities is that the length of imprisonment is an average length in
the EU is 8 months (Nelissen and Schreurs 2016). Therefore this may be an ineffective and
costly way of preparing prisoners for their release.
The Probation Service, on behalf of the Department of Justice, manages offenders ordered to
perform Community Service in lieu of a custodial sentence. The work undertaken on
Community Service is for the benefit of the community and covers a wide range of activities
such as graffiti removal, litter picking, landscaping etc. (Irish Probation Service 2014). One
particular community service team and a community service supervisor worked in
Knockmitten Community Centre and Garden in summer 2013. The work in this centre
included refurbishing the entire centre from inside-out. The work continued into the year of
2014. Knockmitten Community Centre has received more funding to allow prisoners to
continue to refurbish the centre. The Community Service are regularly involved with this
centre and will again provide an input to the new garden area in 2015 (Irish Probation Service
2014).
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The work done in Knockmitten centre has been highly rewarding to the Centre, but most
importantly it gave prisoners an opportunity to get back involved in the community to prepare
them with a positive mind prior to their release into society. Community service allows the
participant to give something back to their local community as a means for making up for their
offending behaviour (Irish Probation Service 2014).
2.6 Integrated Sentence Management
Integrated Sentence Management (ISM) was introduced into Irish prisons in 2008. Integrated
Sentence Management is a procedure of reviewing of prisoners progress in behaviour and
education that is completed by the prison service. It is aimed to motivate prisoners to
participate in the prison services to prepare them with skills and knowledge prior their release
from prison. It not only should benefit the reintegration of the prisoner but possibly benefit the
safety of the community. As a part of ISM, prisoners take a greater personal responsibility for
their own development through active engagement with services in the prisons, ISM involves
initial assessment, goal setting and periodic review to measure progress (Irish Prison Service
2012). However taking into consideration Warner (2014) arguing the disgraceful educational
cuts in Irish prison services, are Irish prisons wasting more money on procedures such as ISM
if the number of prisoners having an opportunity to participate in prison services are
decreasing?
In 2011 Shatter, the Minister for Justice and Equality, commented that since the
commencement of the pilot in the summer of 2008, approximately 2,200 prisoners have been
offered participation in ISM and approximately 1,700 were participating at the end of May
2011 (Handelaar 2011). The small number of prisoners who are considered for ISM highlights
ISM as an inadequate means of motivating prisoners to participate in educating and activities
as it only caters for a small proportion of prisoners. The full range of services are available to
all prisoners, although prisoners on shorter sentences may not be able to complete the full
range of course-work and programmes … staff working in prisons have a wealth of experience
in tailoring programmes to suit both short term and long term prisoners. He also said that the
Probation Service has an active role in helping prisoners to maintain links with family and
community agencies, encouraging prisoners to address their offending behaviour and engaging
prisoners in individual counselling programmes such as offending behaviour, addiction,
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violence and sex offending (Handelaar 2011). This literature concluded that this commitment
is lacking and failing to equally serve the prison population.
2.7 ‘Giving up Crime Method’
Preparing inmates for release from prison can be a difficult task for prison officers. Major
challenges to prison systems throughout Europe is to prepare prisoners for release (Nelissen
and Schreurs 2016). However, according to Nelissen and Schreurs, a successful way to prepare
prisoner’s for release is through the Giving up Crime method. The Giving up Crime was
founded and published in the Netherlands by Nelissen and Schreurs in 2008 who had concerns
for the rehabilitation of prisoner’s after release. Nelissen and Schreurs argues that the problems
that obstruct the progress being made in this area of successful rehabilitation are multiple …
besides the lack of resources, a major problem is the fact that the length of imprisonment
(average length in EU comprises 8 months) is often too short to even initiate a process of
adequate preparation for release and resettlement (2016).
Giving up crime is based on a theoretical book that is aimed to speed up the onset and further
development of this natural process of desistance (Nelissen and Schreurs 2016). The book is
provided to the prisoner which aims to prepare detainees for release by supporting them with
self-directed learning and self-motivation. The method refers to a rehabilitation theory or
framework model that is explicitly based on the dynamics of motivational self-regulation in
offenders’ pathways into and out of crime (Nelissen and Schreurs 2016).
Giving up crime argue that our current prison system do not stimulate prisoner’s self-
determination sufficiently (Nelissen and Schreurs 2016). Therefore the founders of Giving up
crime have developed this rehabilitation programme to encourage supported self-determination
and responsibilities to prisoners during and after their sentence that will prepare them with
adequate social and human capital during their release into society.
2.8 Critiques Perspective on prison rehabilitation
Abolitionist literature notes that prisons at best do nothing to reform offenders and at worst plat
a central role in reproducing crime (Campbell 2010). Critiques argue that prisons are an
institution that constrains distinctive power relations and intimidate prisoners. From a radical
point of view, rehabilitation is seen as an attempt by those in power to impose a repressive
system of social control over vulnerable individuals (Campbell 2010). The correctional system
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is viewed as a method to gain social control with an emphasis on power rather than a primary
aim of reformation. Correctional institutions strip inmates of all of their familiar social and
cultural supports around which their personal identity had previously been centred (Campbell
2010). One critique who rejected the possibility of rehabilitation is Rothman (1973). He
rejected rehabilitation because of the relative powerlessness of the prisoner to give or withhold
consent to such efforts and because of the incongruous nature of the environment within which
it is offered (Campbell 2010).
2.9 Conclusion
Existing literature that was reviewed in this section suggests that the Irish prison system has
drastically changed since the 18th
century of inhumane punishment. The 20th
century marked
an important era in prison modernization. Inhumane torture ended and a rehabilitation service
took over. However there is still problems today in the Irish prison service that are affecting
prisoners opportunities to be educated and skilled for their release into society. This section
reviewed existing literature focusing on the fundamental problems in contemporary prisons
that affects the rehabilitation of prisoners.
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Chapter 3. Methodology
3.1 Introduction and Research Question
The methodology is a critical element of attempting to answer a research question. The
methodology helps to identify adequate data collection methods in order to unfold a particular
research question. The methodology chapter discusses the preparation for the findings. A
description on the data collection methods that were used are discussed. Followed by the ethical
considerations that were taken into account during the data collection.
Through researching the prison service in Ireland in line with an international context, the
question that was formulated is to;
Explore the extent that the Irish prison service have committed to successful prisoner
rehabilitation.
The analytical perspective of this project is rehabilitation. Rehabilitation is the primary concept
that the project is continuously drawn back to.
3.2 Research Methodologies
Identifying the best option of methods for data collection can be tougher than it seems.
According to O’Leary (2004: 163) there are many issues and complexities associated with any
particular method of data collection … collecting credible data is a tough task.
The research methodologies that were used to answer this research question were mixed
methods. A documentary analysis and a short questionnaire were carried out. Using the correct
methodologies may increase the opportunities of optimal findings. Therefore identifying
methods that may increase the chances of optimal findings is an important consideration during
the preparation for collecting data.
3.3 Documentary Analysis
According to O’Leary (2014:250) documentary analysis is “the collection, review,
interrogation and analysis of various forms of written text as a primary source of research data”.
The second method of data collection was a documentary analysis. A documentary analysis is
again, an easier means of accessing secondary source information. Using second source
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information will save me valuable time considering the time restrains that associate with this
project deadline and documentary analysis as a method of data collection is more cost effective
than other means of data collection. According to Mogalakwe (2006) although social surveys,
in-depth interviews and participant observation have been tried and tested, they are not the only
ones available nor are they always useful. MOGALAKWE (2006) argues that documentary
analysis are just as good, and sometimes even more cost effective than social surveys, in-depth
interviews or participant observation.
With the literature review on prison reform and prison policies and strategies, it is important
that they are followed up on and evaluated for their effectiveness. A documentary analysis was
carried out on a successful Dutch programme that is currently mandatory in all Dutch prisons.
The aim of this analysis was to discover if this programme is successful enough to be
implemented in Irish prisons.
Briefly the questions that I hope to address through the documentary analysis are;
What is the current state of the Irish prison service?
To explore ISM in terms of preparing prisoners for release
What alternative method of rehabilitation can Irish prisons use?
3.4 Short Questionnaire
A short questionnaire was completed by the education service in Shelton Abbey Prison which
is a service provided within the care and rehabilitation unit of Irish prisons. The purpose of the
questionnaire was to identify what policies are most important in modernised prison services
that facilitate prisoner’s in helping them to gain benefits from prison, to reform the soul rather
than punish the body. This questionnaire questioned the education service; what the objectives
are. Is it to get prisoners back into the community with education and learning skills that will
increase their chances of seeking employment?
3.5 Study sample
The main source of data collection was the internet. Particularly the Irish Prison Service
website was useful for locating annual reports, policies. However, the short questionnaire was
a bit more time consuming and difficult to get consent. The questionnaire was sent via email
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to Shelton Abbey Prison in co. Wicklow. It was delivered to the education officer of the prison.
An email was also sent to the Netherlands to seek information about the current prison
programme that is mandatory in all Dutch prisons.
3.6 Recruitment
Through contacts in Shelton Abbey, I received a phone number for a colleague in the education
department. Through a phone call, I introduced myself and the study that is undergoing. The
man agreed to be sent the questionnaire via email, attached with a consent form to outline the
objectives of the research.
3.7 Data Collection Methods
There is no ‘better’ method of data collection rather the aim is to employ the right method(s)
which will provide the most comprehensive answer to the research question (O’Leary,
2004:150). Choosing the correct methods of data collection may increase optimal data. The
data collection methods that were chosen for this research project was a documentary analysis
and a short education questionnaire.
3.8 Limitations
One limitation encountered within this project is the inability to conduct interviews.
Considering the strict time constrain to write up the dissertation interviews would not have
been successfully carried out. This is because they are time consuming. Interviews would have
been a beneficial data collection method as they would give in-depth detailed answers.
However, documentary analysis suits my topic well as it is based on policy and programme
reviewing.
The second limiation confronted with during this project is due to restricted ciscumstances the
questionnaire was sent very early without clear indications of the project rationale. Therefore
it is a general questionnaire without consistent relivant answers. However some questions are
relivant to the project.
Lastly a limiation regarding the valitity of the project was confronted with. The valitity of the
questionnaire concludes that it is not generalizable. Due to the restricted time to carry out the
project the questionnaire was only completed by one person.
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3.9 Research Ethics
Research ethics is about being clear about the nature of the agreement you have entered into
with your research subjects or contacts (Bell 2005). However, doing a documentary analysis
involves no ethical considerations. Throughout the duration of putting together this research
project there are a number of guidelines that needed to be taken into consideration to make
ethical decisions regarding other forms of data collection. They are discussed below.
3.9.1 Plagiarism
Plagiarism refers to an unethical decision to copy work that is not your own and to portray it
as your work. This can include copying work from articles, newspapers, television shows,
books, journals, reports and any other medium. As a researcher it is obliged to ensure that the
project does not contain plagiarism. To protect the project referencing was used to copy another
person’s work. The referencing that was used is the Harvard Referencing System.
3.9.2 Codes of ethical practice relating to intellectual ownership
It is quite customary in scientific and technological departments for supervisors’ names to
appear on joint papers (Bell 2005). This research project will be supervised by the department
of social science, it is an ethical consideration to ensure that I obey to the department supporting
and sponsoring the work. The name of the supervisor will be included to appear on the paper
as the sponsor of the project.
3.9.3 Ethical research in practice and the problems of ‘inside’ research
According to Bells, regardless of the requirements of your institution and of your supervisor,
this will still be your research … you will need to satisfy yourself that you have done everything
possible to ensure that your research is conducted in a away which complies with your own
ethical principles (2005). It is an ethical consideration that considering the fieldwork methods
that I have chosen, that as a researcher, I am satisfied that the information I gather from various
organisations are appropriate to use as a source. If any research that is gathered needs to be
vetted by the ethics committee for any organisation, this must be completed.
3.9.4 Publishing findings
If I wish to publish the findings from the project, I must ensure that permission is sought from
the institution and/or organisations which information was took from.
3.9.5 No harm to participant
To ensure there was no harm done to the participant that completed the questionnaire, as a
researcher it is an obligation to ensure that all information that contains any personal identity
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SOCIAL POLICY
was stored on a locked laptop. This is to ensure that nobody is exposed to any personal
identification without consent.
4.0 Methodological Limitations
There were a number of limitations regarding the topic of this research. As it is a difficult topic
to research, being in the category of prisons, prisoners are deemed as vulnerable groups to
interview which decreases my chances of gathering primary source data. This lowered the
chances of getting to do interviews in Shelton Abbey prison even though there was contacts to
the prison. There was only so much information that could be received from the prison.
There was also a limitation on data and statistics that has been published by prisons on
prisoner’s achievements and afterlife. This is because a lot of prisoner’s do not want anything
to do with prison after their release and therefore they do not give any feedback on how they
are doing now.
Some of the questions that were on the questionnaire got a ‘no data’ or a ‘no answer’ comment.
This is because there are boundaries that the prison services adhere to and will not cross if the
information is unsuitable to the public or cannot be published.
4.1 Reflection on research experience
This project was an exciting but challenging experience. Considering the limited time to carry
out this research project that resulted in it being a challenging experience. I chose the Irish
Prison Rehabilitation Service as my topic because there has been an increase in emphasis on
successful rehabilitation as a primary goal of the Irish Prison Service so I wanted to get a deeper
understanding of how the Irish Prison Service commits to this. I also wanted to use this
dissertation as an opportunity to prompt further research on rehabilitation in comparison to
other EU methods of optimal preparation for prisoners.
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Chapter 4. Findings
5.1 Introduction
Chapter four is the findings from the research project. This section is a discussion of what was
gathered from the data collection as outlined in the previous chapter. The findings section is
supported by a conceptual framework in order to present the findings appropriately. The
analytical perspective that the data collection was based on is rehabilitation.
The primary documents used are ‘A Strategic Review of Penal Policy’ completed by the
Review Group in 2014. This is used to discuss the negativity of the current prison system.
Secondly ‘Implimentation and Impact of The Method Giving Up Crime’ by Nelissen and
Scheurs in 2008 and lastly the S.M.A.R.T Program (Stress Management and Rehabiliation
Training). This section includes related literature from chapter two to support the findings and
recommendations alongside brief support from the completed questionnaire. The fundamental
aim of carrying out the findings was to explore the extent to which the current prison
rehabilitation programme, ISM is sufficient to all Irish prisoners. This chapter discusses the
findings that were gathered on the defects of the current prison state and the shortcomings of
the current Irish ISM program.
It also highlights the significance of the recommendations found through an international based
documentary analysis on a document on Giving up Crime from the Netherlands and a document
on S.M.A.R.T from America. The Irish prison service and its associates should consider the
recommendations as a means of improving prisoner rehabilitation in Ireland considering these
means of rehabiliation are successful in these countries. An international comparison will
recommend the possible changes for imposing sufficent Irish rehabiliation.
5.2 Increasing Re-offending numbers
According to the Review Group (2014) reducing reoffending behaviour has been identified as
a key goal of the criminal justice and penal system. To ensure that reoffending rates remain
minimal the rehabilitation and support for prisoners must be accommodated. The Central
Statistics Office (CSO) played a vital role in establishing the extent to which the rehabilitation
service are adequate in Ireland. According to the CSO (2015) individuals who were released
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from the custody of the Irish prison service in 2009 reoffended within the first three years of
their release. In 2009, some 7,507 individuals were released from the custody of the Irish
prison service … of these, 3,563 (47.5%) re-offended within a three-year period (CSO 2015).
The underlying cause of these increasing re-offending rates are because of a lack of educational
opportunities within the prison service. As mentioned in chapter 2 according to Citizens
Information (2014), prisoners have a right to education whilst in prison. However in contrast,
the questionnaire that was completed as part of data collection concluded that education in the
prison service is not compulsory.
“What percentages of offenders are availing of the education service today? Roughly 50% of
the prisoner population avail of education on a daily basis. Attendance in not compulsory”
This is an inadequate percentage of the prison population. Attendance should be compulsory.
There is a need for fairness within the Irish prison service. The answer to the number of
prisoners availing of education is 50% of the population is because of overcrowding. The prison
service cannot afford to provide education to all prisoners due to the high prison population.
Relative to the overall cost of the prison system, education is minor really, but it has been cut
disproportionately in recent years in relation to other activities (Warner 2014). The cuts to the
education system have signifcanctly affected the opportunities to the other half of the
population.
5.3 Overcrowded Irish Prisons
The underlying cause of these high re-offending rates are inadequate and provide insufficient
services and management programmes to all prisoners. If we take for example the Integrated
Sentence Management. As discussed in the literature review ISM is aimed to motivate
prisoners to participate in the prison services to prepare them with skills and knowledge prior
their release from prison. The Review Group however are concerned with the negative impact
of overcrowding on the provision of programmes (The Review Group 2014). This statement is
in conjunction with the literature in chapter two on overcrowding as a major implication for
the management and effectiveness of prisoner preparation for release in Irish prisons. It
interfers with the time management needed for preperation of offender performance prior to
their release into society.
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‘Would you classify the Irish prison education system as well developed in relation to a
European prison edication perspective? Why? – Yes, well-resourced with a highly motivated
teaching cohort’
Thus increasing the percentage of re-offending within three years prior to release. According
to Lally the latest data for 2014 reveals committals have increased, with 15,049 recorded in the
first 11 months of the year (2015). This high number of committals reflects the lack of resources
and time to prepare offenders. It signifantly affects the availability of officers to assist offenders
with planning for accomodation and employment opportunities before their release back into
the community. In comparison, according to Lally the statistic of 2014 compares to 14,857
committals to prison in the Republic from Januart to November in 2013 (2015).
The United Nations Human Rights Committee said Ireland is overusing prison as a punishment,
noting that last year the vast majority of prisoners – 89% - were serving sentences of less than
12 months (The Journal 2014). The overcrowded prisons has results in shorter prison sentences
and release with no support from the prison. This increases re-offending rates.
5.4 Availability of ISM to Selected Offenders Only
As discussed in the literature review ISM is a procedure of reviewing prisoners progression of
their level of dedication in actively engaging in the prison services. It aims to motivate prisoners
to participate in activites and education in preparation for their release. However from the
documentary anaylsis a conclusion was formulated that the ISM does not avail for all offenders.
It generally applies to prisoners sentenced to 12 months or more (Review Group 2014). The
Review Group are concerned with the inconsistent availability of the ISM across the prisons
estate. This is another underlying reason that the ISM is failing to support and rehabilitate
prisoners. ISM is not mandatory to all prisoners. There was general agreement among the
participants of the prisoner focus groups that sentence management and progressive sentence
planning were positive but not all participants had full knowledge of ISM with some having no
experience of a sentence plan, however there was a willingness to participate in ISM but also
a view that is should be more consistently applied (Review Group 2014). During prison visits
as part of the Review by the Review Group, members of the Group were impressed with the
quality of programmes and services available to prisoners although there is concern at the
extent to which they are available to some prisoners in some prisons (The Review Group 2014).
As we can see with relation to the literature review the shortcoming of the high re-offending
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SOCIAL POLICY
rates illustrated by the CSO are results of the unavailability of services to all prisoners. In 2011
The Minster for Justice and Equality, Shatter commented that since summer 2008
approximately 2,200 prisoners have been offered participation in ISM and approximately 1,700
were participating at the end of May 2011 (Handelaar 2011). Through this analysis it is
concluded that this does not count for every prisoner as 1,700 participants is a relatively small
number in conjunction with the Irish prison population of 17,318 in 2011 (Annual Prison
Report 2011).
5.5 “Giving up Crime – An Inspiring Method” : Dutch Prisons
From analsing ISM above we can see that the ISM model of motivating prisoners to particpate
in education and activities in prison may not be the best means of prepering prisoners for
rehabilitation. In summary the Irish prison service are faced with 1) overcrowding issues 2) a
lack of availaility of ISM to all prisoners 3) prison education cuts. As a result of overcrowding
prison sentences are short which interfers with the time needed to be educated and skilled. It is
a vicious cycle which needs more attention. The next section is an analsis of a successful
program that was founded in the Netherlands. The aim of this section is to create an awarness
of international models of rehabiliation which from anaylsing the Irish prison system we may
need to consider.
“Our current prison system does not stimulate prisoners’ self-determination sufficiently”
(Nelissen 2016).
One possible program that has a high chance of being successful in Ireland is the Giving up
Crime method. Giving up Crime is an innovative book based on a theoretically framework that
enhances self-determination and self-change. Considering the educational cuts as highlighted
by Warner alongside the critiques of overcrowded prisons and a lack of availability of ISM,
the Giving up Crime method provides prisoners with a workbook that wil educate themselves
without the need of resources or teachers. It will also facilitate offenders after they are released
from prison which will keep offenders behaviour and actions at bay.
‘What is the number of teachers employed in the year 2015? 220’
If the Irish system introduced Giving up Crime the high number of teachers 220, could be
signifcantly reduced saving money whilst still increasing prisoner preperation and
rehabiliation. According to Nelissen (2016) Givng up Crime is a cost-efficent workbook that
enhances self determination. As Giving up Crime is based on a workbook cohort of teaching it
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can prepare prisoners without the need of teachers. This also free’s up officers time and results
in a less stressed working force.
Giving up crime is a very successful programme that was introduced in the Netherlands by
Nelissen and Schreurs in 2008. It was that successful that it was introduced into all Dutch
prisons. It is effectively running to this day in all Dutch prisons. Nelissen and Schreurs had
concerns for the rehabilitation of prisoners. Nelissen and Schreurs argues that the problems that
obstruct the progress being made in this area of successful rehabilitation are multiple (2016).
Similarly in Ireland, there is major concerns regarding the rehabilitation of Irish prisoners. The
fundamental goal of this documentary analysis on this program is to create an awareness of
such a successful programme that is used to rehabilitate and support prisoners both during and
after release from prison. If the Irish prison service considered this recommendation to be
launched into Irish prisons it may be a huge benefit to the increasing recidivism rates.
The Giving up Crime method was so successful that it was implemented in all Dutch prisons
as part of the Modernization Programme launched by the Dutch Custodial Institution Agency
in 2008 (Nelissen and Schreurs 2016). Unlike ISM in Ireland as an optional means to prepare
prisoners for rehabilitation, Giving up Crime is based on a mandatory model. All prisoners in
Dutch prisons have no option but to engage with the Giving up Crime workbook. A second
critique is that the Giving up Crime method does not rely on the prison officers to plan the
prisoner’s future life and to take responsibility. A major assumption of the method of Giving
up Crime is that we can ameliorate the cost of this practice by viewing the prisoner him- of
herself as the major agent or owner of his change process … the method enables the prisoner
to take responsibility for his current and future life, starting from day one of his imprisonment
(Nelissen and Schreurs 2016).
How to implement Giving up Crime into Irish Prisons
According to Nelissen if you are interested in the implementation of the workbook Givng up
Crime in your country, these are the steps to take (Nelissen 2016).
1. Identify members of your organization who are open for innovative approaches and
committed to ameliorate urgent problesm such as the lack of proper programme of
purposeful and constructive regime activities for (remand) prisoners, lack of staff
training, problems related to overcrowding, lack of education and pre-release activites
2. Involve them in the implementation process of the method
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SOCIAL POLICY
3. Invite them for an information meeting about the method and discuss how it can be
implemented and what staff members and prison officers can gain from this method
4. Start on a small scale with a pilot group in a few prisons, with a group of motivated
prison officers (or other pilot personnel) and detainees. Create spaces outside the cell
were small groups of prisoners and prison personnel can work with the moethod
5. One member of the supervising staff should take the role of coordinator and solve
problmes if necessary
6. Evaluate the experiences throughout the process
(Nelissen 2016).
As mentioned in the literature reivew major challenges to prison systems throughout Europe is
to prepare prisoners for release (Nelissen and Schreurs 2016). It is important that the Irish
prisons service acknowledge alternative means of preparing prisonsers. Therefore the
following table is an overview of the possible benefits of introducing Giving up Crime into
Ireland. The benefits are both for the prisoner’s increased satisfaction of rehabiliation success
and prison officers work satisfaction. The following table is a summary highlighting the main
advantages of introducing Giving up Crime in Ireland. An analysis of the current Irish prison
system and ISM that was discussed above is used to conclude the significance between Giving
up Crime and our current system.
Advantages of
implementing Giving up
Crime in Ireland
Comments/Reccomendation
Cost efficient Save expensives on paying staff and training i.e. cuts down on the 220
staff employed in Irish prisons in 2015 as no teachers are needed as it is
self-learning.
Mandatory workbook ISM in Ireland is not mandatory. This mandatory workbook increases
prisoner engagement instantly with no choice
Increased relationship
between prisoner and
personnel
Increases prisoner satisfaction and thus, increasing motivation for
participating with rehabilation preperation
Easy to implement Easy for Irish prison services to introduced Giving up Crime to increase
rehabiliation
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SOCIAL POLICY
Enhances work satisfaction
of prison officers
More cooperative work force in the prison goal of successful
rehabilitation
Supports detainees before
and after release
This would decrease the three year reoffending rate that is a problem in
Ireland
Increased willingness to
change
Through preperation for high risk situations and developing practical
skills which increases the chances of successful rehabilation
Reduces criminal
motivation
Creating a safer environment
Short sentences are not a
problem
The workbook remains in detainees posession after their release to
continue with their learning
Figure 1. Advantages of introducing Giving up Crime in Ireland
5.6 Conclusion
This section presents the key findings from this research project. It is closely linked with
chapter two to support the data collection with proven existing literature. The primary aim of
this research project was to explore the rehabilitation in Irish prisons. Within this the objectives
were to explore the modernization of the prison service and to identify the problems that prisons
are currently being faced with that are affecting the rehabilitation of prisoners. The study also
explored other programmes that are currently in place in additional EU countries. The findings
concluded that the Irish prison service is failing to prepare all prisoners equally for release into
society. As a solution, keeping in mind the problems in Irish prisons the findings recommended
a very successful Dutch program. The founder of the program highly encourages this program
to be implemented into other EU countries. The literature review was very useful in identifying
the problems in Irish prisons which was used to work closely with a possible international
program that would counteract these problems. The result was Giving up Crime – a Dutch
program.
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SOCIAL POLICY
Chapter 5. Conclusion
This dissertation has discussed the issue regarding prisoner rehabilitation in Ireland. As
discussed in the literature review inadequate prisoner rehabilitation is an increasing issue due
to multiple factors. The literature review has identified the current issues that the Irish prison
service are facing today. The findings chapter has discussed possible recommendations
regarding increasing prisoner satisfaction alongside increasing prison officers work
satisfaction. In order for the current system to work at its optimal ability it is important to
consider promising resolutions that are successful for other EU countries. The contribution of
this research project on the current system was to engage our prison system with additional EU
countries. This may influence the Government and the prison service Governors to further this
issue. The ISM model has been successful in preparing and motivating prisoners. However
considering the issues that the current prison system are faced with in particular overcrowding,
availability of ISM to selected prisoners only and cuts to the education service, there needs to
be more attention to considering a method that will successfully work to overcome these issues.
According to Warner (2012) the access of the average prisoner to services such as education
and training can be very limited, due to lock-up times of close to 17 hours a day. This research
dissertation suggests easy alternatives to these problems that the Irish prisons need to start
considering. Why are our prisoners not supplied with a fundamental workbook or an alternative
way of learning that they can use productively in their cell instead of looking at the walls?
Knowing that their chances of reoffending within the three year period is increasing by the day
due to the lack of opportunities they have to be educated.
Amongst many international programmes of prisoner rehabilitation Giving up Crime is a
particular interesting method of rehabilitaiton. Through existing literature it was gathered that
the Giving up Crime could be a very successful model in Irish prisons considering the current
issues. Giving up Crime method is inexpensive in multiple ways i.e. no teachers needed and
no additional resources needed. Giving up Crime method is based on a self-teaching cohort
that is mandatory in Dutch prisons. This research projects recommends looking elsewhere for
a more successful program for Irish prisons. Having a mandatory program while eliminate the
non-mandatory means of preparing selected prisoners for rehabilitation will benefit the wider
prison population and thus benefitting society.
The findings suggest an alternative method of rehabilitation after analysing the current state of
the Irish prison service. With the issues of overcrowded Irish prisons, a lack of availability of
25
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SOCIAL POLICY
ISM to all prisoners, cuts in the education service, long lock up hours and as a result, increasing
reoffending rates within the three year period the resolution that may be the most satisfying to
Irish prisoners is the Giving up Crime method. Through the analysis it is concluded that Giving
up Crime could have the capability to eliminate or significantly reduce the number of issues in
our Irish prisons.
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Bibliography
Scottish Publisher DC Thomson (1965) Irish Prison Registers 1970-1924,
http://www.findmypast.ie/articles/world-records/full-list-of-the-irish-family-history-
records/institutions-and-organisations/irish-prison-registers-1790-1924, accessed 11/2/16.
E2BN (2006), Transportation, http://vcp.e2bn.org/justice/section2196-transportation.html,
accessed 11/2/16.
Cengage Learning (2016), The Prison Reform Movement,
http://www.encyclopedia.com/article-1G2-2587100021/prison-reform-movement.html,
accessed 11/2/16.
Nelissen, P and Schreurs, Marie L. (2016) Giving up Crime Method. Maastricht.
Amnesty International (2016) Growing Up On Death Row: The Death Penalty and Juvenile
Offenders in Iran. London: Peter Benenson House.
Nelissen, P and Schreurs, M (2016) Giving up Crime,
http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/standardsetting/prisons/Conference_19_files/Nelissen%20Schreurs
%20presentation%20Helsinki.pdf, accessed 18/3/16.
Thomson (2016) Find Your Ancestors in Irish Prison Registers 1790-1924,
http://www.findmypast.ie/articles/world-records/full-list-of-the-irish-family-history-
records/institutions-and-organisations/irish-prison-registers-1790-19244, accessed 25/2/16.
Snow, Kathryn and Gillam, Lynn. 2015. “What are prisons for? Answering that is the starting
point for reform.” Retrieved February 24, 2016 (http://theconversation.com/what-are-prisons-
for-answering-that-is-the-starting-point-for-reform-40298).
Lally, C. (2 January 2015) Prison overcrowding eases despite the rise in numbers jailed, The
Irish Times.
Citizens Information (2015) “Prisoner’s Rights”
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/justice/prison_system/prisoners_rights.html, accessed
17/3/16.
Warner, Kevin (2014) “‘From scumbag to student’: The power of prison education.”
http://www.thejournal.ie/irish-prison-education-1472729-May2014/, accessed 17/3/16.
Irish Probation Service (2014) Annual Report. Dublin 7: Probation Service.
The Review Group (2014) Strategic Review of Penal Policy Final Report. Dublin.
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Houses of the Oireachtas (2013) Report on Penal Reform. Dublin: Government Publications.
Handelaar, J (2011) Dail Debates Written Answers
https://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2011-06-23.1155.0, accessed 11/2/16.
Irish Prison Service (2011) Annual Report of the Irish Prison Service. Ballinalee: Irish Prison
Service HQ.
Campbell, K (2010) Rehabilitation Theory,
https://marisluste.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/rehabilitation-theory.pdf, accessed 18/3/16.
Huebner, B (2009) Rehabilitation, http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-
9780195396607/obo-9780195396607-0046.xml, accessed 18/3/16.
Mogalakwe, Monageng. 2006. “The Use of Documentary Research Methods in Social
Research” Sociologist 10:221-230.
Bell, J. (2005) Doing Your Research Project. Berkshire: Open University Press
Wilson, B and Ridner, A (2003), Prisons: History, Characteristics and Purpose,
http://study.com/academy/lesson/prisons-history-characteristics-purpose.html, accessed
11/2/16.
Foucault, M (1980), Power/Knowledge: Selected Interviews and Other Writings, 1972-1977.
Trans. Colin Gordon et al. New York: Pantheon.
Foucault, M (1977), Discipline and Punishment. London: Tavistock

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Social Policy Thesis

  • 1. Christina Gibney 13333206 Department of Social Policy (SP301) “The Modernization of the Irish Prison Service – Exploring the Correct Measure for Adequate Prisoner Rehabilitation” Project Supervisor: Tonye Olatunde
  • 2. ii Christina Gibney 13333206 2016 SOCIAL POLICY Acknowledgments Completing this dissertation has been a challenging but rewarding experience. I would like to extend my appreciation to my project supervisor Dr. Tonye Olatunde. Through her expertise this project was successfully completed. This project would not have been fruitful without her ongoing support and assistance. I would like to thank Dr. Adam Smith who assisted me at the early stages of the project. A thank you to all my lecturers in the Social Science department who assisted me in any way throughout my dissertation. I would also like to thank all my friends and family for their ongoing assistance. My family and friend’s loyalty and support has been greatly appreciated. Last but not lease I would like to take this opportunity to thank my particpant who took part in my project. Without his support I would not have had a completed questionnaire from the Irish Prison Service.
  • 3. iii Christina Gibney 13333206 2016 SOCIAL POLICY Table of Contents Acknowledgments...............................................................................................................................ii 1.1 Rationale and Research Question..............................................................................................1 1.2 Aims and Objectives of the Research....................................................................................1 1.2.1 Aim ........................................................................................................................................1 1.2.2 Objectives..............................................................................................................................1 1.3 Layout of Following Chapters ...............................................................................................2 2.1 Introduction.............................................................................................................................3 2.2 The formation of rehabilitation in Ireland ...........................................................................3 2.2.1 18th century Imprisonment.................................................................................................3 2.2.3 19th century Imprisonment..................................................................................................5 2.2.4 20th century Imprisonment..................................................................................................5 2.3 The biggest problem in contemporary society Irish Prisons – Overcrowded prisons......6 2.4 Educating prisoner’s...............................................................................................................7 2.5 The Probation Service – Enhancing Offender Rehabilitation ............................................8 2.6 Integrated Sentence Management .........................................................................................9 2.7 ‘Giving up Crime Method’...................................................................................................10 2.8 Critiques Perspective on prison rehabilitation...................................................................10 2.9 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................11 3.1 Introduction and Research Question ..................................................................................12 3.2 Research Methodologies.......................................................................................................12 3.3 Documentary Analysis..........................................................................................................12 3.4 Short Questionnaire..............................................................................................................13 3.5 Study sample..........................................................................................................................13 3.6 Recruitment...........................................................................................................................14 3.7 Data Collection Methods ......................................................................................................14 3.8 Limitations.............................................................................................................................14 3.9 Research Ethics .....................................................................................................................15 3.9.1 Plagiarism...........................................................................................................................15 3.9.2 Codes of ethical practice relating to intellectual ownership...........................................15 3.9.3 Ethical research in practice and the problems of ‘inside’ research ..............................15 3.9.4 Publishing findings.............................................................................................................15 3.9.5 No harm to participant......................................................................................................15 4.0 Methodological Limitations .................................................................................................16 4.1 Reflection on research experience .......................................................................................16 5.1 Introduction...........................................................................................................................17
  • 4. iv Christina Gibney 13333206 2016 SOCIAL POLICY 5.2 Increasing Re-offending numbers .......................................................................................17 5.3 Overcrowded Irish Prisons ..................................................................................................18 5.4 Availability of ISM to Selected Offenders Only.................................................................19 5.5 “Giving up Crime – An Inspiring Method” : Dutch Prisons ............................................20 5.6 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................23 Chapter 5. Conclusion...........................................................................................................................24 Bibliography .........................................................................................................................................26
  • 5. 1 Christina Gibney 13333206 2016 SOCIAL POLICY Chapter 1. Introduction 1.1 Rationale and Research Question The primary aim of this research project was to explore the extent to which the Irish Prison Service have contributed to successful rehabilisation of prisoner’s in recent years. This research project aims to explore the care and rehabilitation unit within the Irish prison service to analyse the optimal programmes for rehabilitation. Prisoner care and rehabilitation is a core aim of the Irish Prison Service (Irish Prison Service 2012). The issue with Irish prisons is that it is seen as a place to keep burglars off the street. According to The Irish Times, Minister for Justice, Fitzgerald would lock up re-offending burglars for longer periods of time … her public commitment “to keep burglars off the street” is popular with those people who see prisons as places of punishment, rather than rehabilitation (2015). However, this should not be the resolution. It will not reduce crime (The Irish Times 2015). This research question explored the extent to which the Irish Prison Service and its associates have acknowleged this issue. It discovered possible policies and management plans that are currently in action in Irish prisons. 1.2 Aims and Objectives of the Research 1.2.1 Aim The primary aim of this research project was to identify if the Irish Prison Service have commited to the goal of the Irish prison service as outlined above. 1.2.2 Objectives To accomplish an achievable research project three main objectives were explored. The first objective was to unravell the prison history of reform. This objective gave a clear understanding of the change in defining imprisonment and punishment. However, even though it has been a beneficial change today’s prison service is not giving one hundred percent commitment. The second objective was to discover the current programmes and policies in Irish prisons. Discovering Irish policies and programmes were an important objective to unfold. It gave a deeper understanding of the Irish context It forumalted a framework to follow and it created
  • 6. 2 Christina Gibney 13333206 2016 SOCIAL POLICY awarness of gaps in the current programmes and policies. Through researching existing literature on prison programmes and policies that are currently in place identified the specific documents that is in relation to prisoner rehabilitation. The third objective is based on an international context. Through researching literature outside of the Irish context information was gathered on two other EU countries. Their specific method used to prepare prisoners for release was explored. This was an important research section as it concluded whether the Irish prison service should look into other methods of preparing prisoner’s for release into society. 1.3 Layout of Following Chapters The literature review will be a detailed review of the empirical literature that is available in relation to the current chosen topic on prison rehabilitation. The literature review will include a review of prison history since the 18th century up to the 21st century based on a conceptual framework.. It will discuss policy and mamangment plans that are currently in the Irish prison service. In an international context the literature review will discuss another European countries prison rehabilisation method. Lastly, it will give a discussion on critiques perspective on prison rehabilisation. Chapter three is the methodology section. The methodology consists of a discussion on the data collection methods and preperation used for current research project. It outlines the methodologies used, the study sample, recruitment of the study sample and finally it discussed the ethical considerations. The fourth chapter is the findings. The findings chapter is a discussion of what was gathered from the data colletion. It is supported by references from the literature review in chapter two. It highlights the contribution of this specific project to the current issue and hopefully add to the research that has been done on the topic. Recommendations aimed at the Irish prison service have been given in this section. The recommendations are based on what was gathered from the findings. Lastly it gave the author an opportunity to refect on the research project experience. Lastly, chapter five is the conclusion of the research project. This consists of a brief reflection on the research project concluding the main points.
  • 7. 3 Christina Gibney 13333206 2016 SOCIAL POLICY Chapter 2. Literature Review 2.1 Introduction Rehabilitation is a vital method of correction in prisons. Rehabilitation was a central feature of corrections in the first half of the twentieth century (Huebner 2009). It is a method of preparation of prisoners for a crime free release from prison. According to Huebner (2009), the favourability of rehabilitation programming declined in the 1970’s and 1980’s but has regained favour in recent years. This chapter is a review of existing literature on the modernization of the Irish prison system with a purpose of preparing prisoners for their release from prison. It begins with an exploration of the history of prison reform to give an understanding of the framework for the topic in a wider context. It explores the numerous methods that the Irish prison service have considered or have already implemented for the optimal method of correction. This chapter concludes with current policies and management strategies in an international context that are present in prisons. Despite this, the research question to be explored is which of these management and planning are optimal for prisoner rehabilitation? Is the purpose of incarceration to punish wrongdoing, or to protect society from dangerous individuals? Is it to reform those who stray beyond the bounds of acceptable behaviour? (Snow 2015). To this current day and age, a debate on how to define the correct punishment for prisoners is an ongoing disagreement. There are literature that answer these questions regarding how prisons are defined from the 18th century up until the 21st century. From gathering literature, it is quite clear that prisons today are seen as a method of reforming the human mind than in the 18th and 19th century. There has been significant reform of punishment in prisons since the 18th century. 2.2 The formation of rehabilitation in Ireland 2.2.1 18th century Imprisonment In order to understand how prison reform has changed, it is important to understand how far the prison service has come in terms of modernisation. Therefore this section will discuss prison reform which will help to identify to what extent prisons are fulfilling a duty of rehabilitation. It will discuss vital prison regimes and policies that exist today (that were not around in the 18th and 19th century) to reduce recidivism and re-offending.
  • 8. 4 Christina Gibney 13333206 2016 SOCIAL POLICY In the 18th century, prisons were under-developed and known as a dumping ground for the poor who were awaiting trial or transportation. The demand to reform the prisons grew throughout the 18th century (Thomson 2016). Prison reformer John Howard came to Ireland the following decade. He was appalled by the prisons in Ireland. He noted that corruption was rife amongst the public institutions and many were “totally inattentive” of the gaols. He said that he had never seen prisons or abuses worse than those in Ireland (Thomson 2016). Many gaols were effectively dungeons, privately-run dumping grounds for the manorial and debtors courts (Thomson 2016). Transportation was an alternative punishment to hanging, convicted criminals were transported to the colonies to serve their prison sentence … it had the advantages of removing the criminal from society (E2BN (2006). This idea of removing criminals from society marks the difference between the 18th century prisons and todays modernization of prison services that are aimed to reform prisoners for re-entry into society and thus, meet the needs of the community. Transportation ended with the close of the Revolutionary War. The drive to improve the prison service in the 18th century was marked by the 1786 Regulation of Prisons Bill. The bill established a prison inspector who would be appointed by the Grand Jury. Prisons should be inspected at least once every two years and budgets were to be agreed to feed the prisoners and maintain the prisons (Scottish Publisher DC Thomson 1965). Ireland’s prisons finally became under state control in the Irish Prisons Act 1826 with the setting up of the Prisons Boards (Scottish Publisher DC Thomson 1965). After the end of transportation as a method of punishment, Ireland was left with a new popular punishment called the houses of correction also known as Bridewells prison. This type of prison was developed with a more positive attitude than that of removing criminals from society, instead if a prisoner was sent to Bridewells, this gave them the chance to repay their debts as debtors rather than being called criminals. However there was of course a punishment for criminals who conducted crimes such as prostitution, theft or disorderly behaviour. This punishment was known as hard labour. Hard labour was a sentence of time to a work house where inmates performed manual labour all day, every day (Wilson and Ridner, 2003). It was during this time that an English philosopher and social reformer Jeremy Bentham advocated for prison improvements. Bentham supported strict treatment for prisoners but safe and sanitary conditions. Bentham also advocated humane treatment for prisoners and a move away from corporal or capital punishments (Wilson and Ridner, 2003).
  • 9. 5 Christina Gibney 13333206 2016 SOCIAL POLICY The Age of Enlightenment followed after Bentham’s avocations. The 18th century’s Age of Enlightenment played the most significant role in prison reform … it was a time when people began to value reason and rationality (Wilson and Ridner, 2003). The Enlightenment was the best thing that could have happened to criminals. They were no longer thought to be fundamentally flawed but widely thought to be capable of correction and rehabilitation (Wilson and Ridner, 2003). It was after this era that prisons became under strict regulation with a new view of reforming the soul of criminals rather than the punishment of the body. The first prison, operating under this new system, opened in Pennsylvania in 1789 on the site of an older jail (Wilson and Ridner, 2003). 2.2.3 19th century Imprisonment The 19th century marked the beginning of Bentham’s panopticon prison, also known as the solitary system which was adopted in Pennsylvania and the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia (Wilson and Ridner, 2003). The panopticon meant that the power was in the guard’s possession, that all cells were visible from a central guard system. This nature of power within society can be illustrated by Foucault. He wrote that power “reaches into the very grain of individuals, touches their bodies and inserts itself into their actions and attitudes, their discourses, learning processes and everyday lives” (Foucault 1980,30). Foucault did not see this notion of power relations as a negative for society. For him, power was a producer of reality: “It produces domains of objects and rituals of truth” (Foucault 1977, 194). In other words, power can be seen as a positive impact upon how humans should behave in society. So it is through the panopticon that power relations structures prisoner’s behaviours that will be accepted and beneficial for society as a whole, prior to their release from prison. Towards the end of the 19th century, the purpose of the prison time shifted slightly to include deterrence, the goal was still to rehabilitate offenders and return them to society, but also to prevent criminal acts and reoffending (Wilson and Ridner, 2003) 2.2.4 20th century Imprisonment The 20th century marked an important era for prison reform. The prison reform movement began in the late 19th century and continued throughout the 20th century. This reform movement aimed to end the torture and inhumane treatment of prisoners (Wilson and Ridner, 2003). The conflicting struggle that reformers come in contact with is the question of how to punish
  • 10. 6 Christina Gibney 13333206 2016 SOCIAL POLICY criminals while protecting their humanity; how to protect the public while also allowing prisoners to re-enter society after their sentences end and how to satisfy crime victims' desire for justice and revenge while also giving convicts a second chance to live freely and abide by the law (Cengage Learning 2016). The beginning of the prison reform movement highlights the difficulties and conflicts regarding the value of imprisonment, it was the mark of a new, more beneficial experience for criminals. Torture and inhumane treatment were subsided with prison facilitates and services that improved their chances of successful rehabilitation. In American society, prisons have multiple functions. Incarceration is regarded as a punishment for criminal offenders, taking away their liberty and their ability to control their own lives, such punishment is said to give crime victims, their families, and society a sense of retribution, or justice … secondly, locking up criminals also serves to protect the public. However, throughout history many criminal justice experts have viewed incarceration as an opportunity to provide counselling and training to offenders so that they can be reformed or changed for the better and rehabilitated, or prepared for a return to normal life (Cengage Learning 2016). The reform movement has since been supported by various governmental organisations to protect criminal’s humanity, by equipping the prison system with services to educate and reform prisoners towards more positive working aspirations which will meet the modern needs of the community after their release. 2.3 The biggest problem in contemporary society Irish Prisons – Overcrowded prisons Existing literature on Irish prisons conclude that one of the largest problematic issues the face Irish prisons is overcrowding. Overcrowding is a major implication for the management and effectiveness of prisoner preparation and sentence planning. This is because overcrowding of prisons result in shorter sentences. The United Nation (UN) has strongly criticised Ireland’s prison service. In a strong statement the UN cited the “chronic” overcrowding and the “inhuman “practice of slopping out (The Journal 2014). The UN criticised Ireland’s prisons for the lack of acknowledgment to the poor resources and accommodation for prisoners. The United Nations Human Rights Committee said Ireland is overusing prison as a punishment, noting that last year the vast majority of prisoners – 89% - were serving sentences of less than 12 months (The Journal 2014).
  • 11. 7 Christina Gibney 13333206 2016 SOCIAL POLICY According to a Report on Justice, Defence and Equality 2013, in light of the recommendations, an emphasis is strongly portrayed that any offender sentenced to six months or less is likely to be released after two or three weeks due to overcrowding, making sentence planning very difficult (Oireachtas 2013). This makes it very difficult to educate prisoners and create plans for accommodation and employment after their release. 2.4 Educating prisoner’s The method of incarceration that is illustrated above during the 18th and 19th century have significantly changed. Literature behind rehabilitation theory suggests that the means used to achieve reform in prisons have varied over time, beginning with silence, isolation, labor, and punishment then moving onto medically based interventions including drugs … more recently, educational, vocational, and psychologically based programmes (Campbell 2010: 831). These programmes have been put forward typically to reform prisoners during their sentence. However a short sentence makes it almost impossible for prison officers to perform these tasks. The power relations that were present in the panopticon were the prisoners mind, behaviours and actions were deliberately controlled by the prison service have transformed to modernised power structures such as the power of the education system in preparing prisoners for release. According to Warner power can be seen in contemporary society through the reformation and rehabilitation of prisoners. Warner was the Education Coordinator in the Irish prison system for nearly 30 years until 2009 (Warner 2014). An example of the shift in prisoner reform can be illustrated by Warner. In a study conducted by Warner ‘From scumbag to student’: The power of prison education (2014) it concluded that the structure of power is not seen in light of a panopticon based model in prisons, it is in fact seen in the modernised prison services that are intended to reform the soul. Michael* completed his Leaving Certificate while serving a four-year drugs-related sentence in a Dublin prison (Warner 2014). Participating in education in the prisons service ‘got the ball rolling’ for Michael*. Fortunately Michael* now has a master’s degree. However this does not count for all prisoners. Michael* was fortunate to have four years to be educated. Prisoners who are sentenced to shorter sentences for example six months have a very slight chance of being chosen to be considered for education. In line with this issue, Warner argues; relative to the overall cost of the prison system, education is minor really, but it has been cut disproportionately in recent years in relation to other
  • 12. 8 Christina Gibney 13333206 2016 SOCIAL POLICY activities (Warner 2014). All prisoner’s right to education are not being fully met. According to Citizens Information (2014), prisoners have a right to education whilst in prison. In contrast the study conducted by Warner argues the cuts have affected the rights of prisoners. This effects prisoner’s opportunities of seeking employment prior to their release from prison. It is a vicious cycle that lacks attention. If prisoners are being locked up, with little or no chances of being educated and up-skilled during their sentence, the chances of reoffending increases. Warner concludes on a statement; you’ve spent all this money to lock them up in a destructive environment, if they’re ready for something like Open University it should be there for them (2014). 2.5 The Probation Service – Enhancing Offender Rehabilitation The Probation Service’ goal is to contribute to creating safer communities and fewer victims through offender rehabilitation (Irish Probation Service 2014). In 2014, €10.7 million of the Probation Service’ overall budget was allocated to fund a range of Community Based Organisations (CBOs) (Irish Probation Service 2014). This was in the hope that these community based organisations would provide an adequate service that would provide skills and knowledge to enhance prisoners’ opportunities of seeking employment after their release. Amongst the services that are provided is education. However a major problem regarding insufficient education opportunities is that the length of imprisonment is an average length in the EU is 8 months (Nelissen and Schreurs 2016). Therefore this may be an ineffective and costly way of preparing prisoners for their release. The Probation Service, on behalf of the Department of Justice, manages offenders ordered to perform Community Service in lieu of a custodial sentence. The work undertaken on Community Service is for the benefit of the community and covers a wide range of activities such as graffiti removal, litter picking, landscaping etc. (Irish Probation Service 2014). One particular community service team and a community service supervisor worked in Knockmitten Community Centre and Garden in summer 2013. The work in this centre included refurbishing the entire centre from inside-out. The work continued into the year of 2014. Knockmitten Community Centre has received more funding to allow prisoners to continue to refurbish the centre. The Community Service are regularly involved with this centre and will again provide an input to the new garden area in 2015 (Irish Probation Service 2014).
  • 13. 9 Christina Gibney 13333206 2016 SOCIAL POLICY The work done in Knockmitten centre has been highly rewarding to the Centre, but most importantly it gave prisoners an opportunity to get back involved in the community to prepare them with a positive mind prior to their release into society. Community service allows the participant to give something back to their local community as a means for making up for their offending behaviour (Irish Probation Service 2014). 2.6 Integrated Sentence Management Integrated Sentence Management (ISM) was introduced into Irish prisons in 2008. Integrated Sentence Management is a procedure of reviewing of prisoners progress in behaviour and education that is completed by the prison service. It is aimed to motivate prisoners to participate in the prison services to prepare them with skills and knowledge prior their release from prison. It not only should benefit the reintegration of the prisoner but possibly benefit the safety of the community. As a part of ISM, prisoners take a greater personal responsibility for their own development through active engagement with services in the prisons, ISM involves initial assessment, goal setting and periodic review to measure progress (Irish Prison Service 2012). However taking into consideration Warner (2014) arguing the disgraceful educational cuts in Irish prison services, are Irish prisons wasting more money on procedures such as ISM if the number of prisoners having an opportunity to participate in prison services are decreasing? In 2011 Shatter, the Minister for Justice and Equality, commented that since the commencement of the pilot in the summer of 2008, approximately 2,200 prisoners have been offered participation in ISM and approximately 1,700 were participating at the end of May 2011 (Handelaar 2011). The small number of prisoners who are considered for ISM highlights ISM as an inadequate means of motivating prisoners to participate in educating and activities as it only caters for a small proportion of prisoners. The full range of services are available to all prisoners, although prisoners on shorter sentences may not be able to complete the full range of course-work and programmes … staff working in prisons have a wealth of experience in tailoring programmes to suit both short term and long term prisoners. He also said that the Probation Service has an active role in helping prisoners to maintain links with family and community agencies, encouraging prisoners to address their offending behaviour and engaging prisoners in individual counselling programmes such as offending behaviour, addiction,
  • 14. 10 Christina Gibney 13333206 2016 SOCIAL POLICY violence and sex offending (Handelaar 2011). This literature concluded that this commitment is lacking and failing to equally serve the prison population. 2.7 ‘Giving up Crime Method’ Preparing inmates for release from prison can be a difficult task for prison officers. Major challenges to prison systems throughout Europe is to prepare prisoners for release (Nelissen and Schreurs 2016). However, according to Nelissen and Schreurs, a successful way to prepare prisoner’s for release is through the Giving up Crime method. The Giving up Crime was founded and published in the Netherlands by Nelissen and Schreurs in 2008 who had concerns for the rehabilitation of prisoner’s after release. Nelissen and Schreurs argues that the problems that obstruct the progress being made in this area of successful rehabilitation are multiple … besides the lack of resources, a major problem is the fact that the length of imprisonment (average length in EU comprises 8 months) is often too short to even initiate a process of adequate preparation for release and resettlement (2016). Giving up crime is based on a theoretical book that is aimed to speed up the onset and further development of this natural process of desistance (Nelissen and Schreurs 2016). The book is provided to the prisoner which aims to prepare detainees for release by supporting them with self-directed learning and self-motivation. The method refers to a rehabilitation theory or framework model that is explicitly based on the dynamics of motivational self-regulation in offenders’ pathways into and out of crime (Nelissen and Schreurs 2016). Giving up crime argue that our current prison system do not stimulate prisoner’s self- determination sufficiently (Nelissen and Schreurs 2016). Therefore the founders of Giving up crime have developed this rehabilitation programme to encourage supported self-determination and responsibilities to prisoners during and after their sentence that will prepare them with adequate social and human capital during their release into society. 2.8 Critiques Perspective on prison rehabilitation Abolitionist literature notes that prisons at best do nothing to reform offenders and at worst plat a central role in reproducing crime (Campbell 2010). Critiques argue that prisons are an institution that constrains distinctive power relations and intimidate prisoners. From a radical point of view, rehabilitation is seen as an attempt by those in power to impose a repressive system of social control over vulnerable individuals (Campbell 2010). The correctional system
  • 15. 11 Christina Gibney 13333206 2016 SOCIAL POLICY is viewed as a method to gain social control with an emphasis on power rather than a primary aim of reformation. Correctional institutions strip inmates of all of their familiar social and cultural supports around which their personal identity had previously been centred (Campbell 2010). One critique who rejected the possibility of rehabilitation is Rothman (1973). He rejected rehabilitation because of the relative powerlessness of the prisoner to give or withhold consent to such efforts and because of the incongruous nature of the environment within which it is offered (Campbell 2010). 2.9 Conclusion Existing literature that was reviewed in this section suggests that the Irish prison system has drastically changed since the 18th century of inhumane punishment. The 20th century marked an important era in prison modernization. Inhumane torture ended and a rehabilitation service took over. However there is still problems today in the Irish prison service that are affecting prisoners opportunities to be educated and skilled for their release into society. This section reviewed existing literature focusing on the fundamental problems in contemporary prisons that affects the rehabilitation of prisoners.
  • 16. 12 Christina Gibney 13333206 2016 SOCIAL POLICY Chapter 3. Methodology 3.1 Introduction and Research Question The methodology is a critical element of attempting to answer a research question. The methodology helps to identify adequate data collection methods in order to unfold a particular research question. The methodology chapter discusses the preparation for the findings. A description on the data collection methods that were used are discussed. Followed by the ethical considerations that were taken into account during the data collection. Through researching the prison service in Ireland in line with an international context, the question that was formulated is to; Explore the extent that the Irish prison service have committed to successful prisoner rehabilitation. The analytical perspective of this project is rehabilitation. Rehabilitation is the primary concept that the project is continuously drawn back to. 3.2 Research Methodologies Identifying the best option of methods for data collection can be tougher than it seems. According to O’Leary (2004: 163) there are many issues and complexities associated with any particular method of data collection … collecting credible data is a tough task. The research methodologies that were used to answer this research question were mixed methods. A documentary analysis and a short questionnaire were carried out. Using the correct methodologies may increase the opportunities of optimal findings. Therefore identifying methods that may increase the chances of optimal findings is an important consideration during the preparation for collecting data. 3.3 Documentary Analysis According to O’Leary (2014:250) documentary analysis is “the collection, review, interrogation and analysis of various forms of written text as a primary source of research data”. The second method of data collection was a documentary analysis. A documentary analysis is again, an easier means of accessing secondary source information. Using second source
  • 17. 13 Christina Gibney 13333206 2016 SOCIAL POLICY information will save me valuable time considering the time restrains that associate with this project deadline and documentary analysis as a method of data collection is more cost effective than other means of data collection. According to Mogalakwe (2006) although social surveys, in-depth interviews and participant observation have been tried and tested, they are not the only ones available nor are they always useful. MOGALAKWE (2006) argues that documentary analysis are just as good, and sometimes even more cost effective than social surveys, in-depth interviews or participant observation. With the literature review on prison reform and prison policies and strategies, it is important that they are followed up on and evaluated for their effectiveness. A documentary analysis was carried out on a successful Dutch programme that is currently mandatory in all Dutch prisons. The aim of this analysis was to discover if this programme is successful enough to be implemented in Irish prisons. Briefly the questions that I hope to address through the documentary analysis are; What is the current state of the Irish prison service? To explore ISM in terms of preparing prisoners for release What alternative method of rehabilitation can Irish prisons use? 3.4 Short Questionnaire A short questionnaire was completed by the education service in Shelton Abbey Prison which is a service provided within the care and rehabilitation unit of Irish prisons. The purpose of the questionnaire was to identify what policies are most important in modernised prison services that facilitate prisoner’s in helping them to gain benefits from prison, to reform the soul rather than punish the body. This questionnaire questioned the education service; what the objectives are. Is it to get prisoners back into the community with education and learning skills that will increase their chances of seeking employment? 3.5 Study sample The main source of data collection was the internet. Particularly the Irish Prison Service website was useful for locating annual reports, policies. However, the short questionnaire was a bit more time consuming and difficult to get consent. The questionnaire was sent via email
  • 18. 14 Christina Gibney 13333206 2016 SOCIAL POLICY to Shelton Abbey Prison in co. Wicklow. It was delivered to the education officer of the prison. An email was also sent to the Netherlands to seek information about the current prison programme that is mandatory in all Dutch prisons. 3.6 Recruitment Through contacts in Shelton Abbey, I received a phone number for a colleague in the education department. Through a phone call, I introduced myself and the study that is undergoing. The man agreed to be sent the questionnaire via email, attached with a consent form to outline the objectives of the research. 3.7 Data Collection Methods There is no ‘better’ method of data collection rather the aim is to employ the right method(s) which will provide the most comprehensive answer to the research question (O’Leary, 2004:150). Choosing the correct methods of data collection may increase optimal data. The data collection methods that were chosen for this research project was a documentary analysis and a short education questionnaire. 3.8 Limitations One limitation encountered within this project is the inability to conduct interviews. Considering the strict time constrain to write up the dissertation interviews would not have been successfully carried out. This is because they are time consuming. Interviews would have been a beneficial data collection method as they would give in-depth detailed answers. However, documentary analysis suits my topic well as it is based on policy and programme reviewing. The second limiation confronted with during this project is due to restricted ciscumstances the questionnaire was sent very early without clear indications of the project rationale. Therefore it is a general questionnaire without consistent relivant answers. However some questions are relivant to the project. Lastly a limiation regarding the valitity of the project was confronted with. The valitity of the questionnaire concludes that it is not generalizable. Due to the restricted time to carry out the project the questionnaire was only completed by one person.
  • 19. 15 Christina Gibney 13333206 2016 SOCIAL POLICY 3.9 Research Ethics Research ethics is about being clear about the nature of the agreement you have entered into with your research subjects or contacts (Bell 2005). However, doing a documentary analysis involves no ethical considerations. Throughout the duration of putting together this research project there are a number of guidelines that needed to be taken into consideration to make ethical decisions regarding other forms of data collection. They are discussed below. 3.9.1 Plagiarism Plagiarism refers to an unethical decision to copy work that is not your own and to portray it as your work. This can include copying work from articles, newspapers, television shows, books, journals, reports and any other medium. As a researcher it is obliged to ensure that the project does not contain plagiarism. To protect the project referencing was used to copy another person’s work. The referencing that was used is the Harvard Referencing System. 3.9.2 Codes of ethical practice relating to intellectual ownership It is quite customary in scientific and technological departments for supervisors’ names to appear on joint papers (Bell 2005). This research project will be supervised by the department of social science, it is an ethical consideration to ensure that I obey to the department supporting and sponsoring the work. The name of the supervisor will be included to appear on the paper as the sponsor of the project. 3.9.3 Ethical research in practice and the problems of ‘inside’ research According to Bells, regardless of the requirements of your institution and of your supervisor, this will still be your research … you will need to satisfy yourself that you have done everything possible to ensure that your research is conducted in a away which complies with your own ethical principles (2005). It is an ethical consideration that considering the fieldwork methods that I have chosen, that as a researcher, I am satisfied that the information I gather from various organisations are appropriate to use as a source. If any research that is gathered needs to be vetted by the ethics committee for any organisation, this must be completed. 3.9.4 Publishing findings If I wish to publish the findings from the project, I must ensure that permission is sought from the institution and/or organisations which information was took from. 3.9.5 No harm to participant To ensure there was no harm done to the participant that completed the questionnaire, as a researcher it is an obligation to ensure that all information that contains any personal identity
  • 20. 16 Christina Gibney 13333206 2016 SOCIAL POLICY was stored on a locked laptop. This is to ensure that nobody is exposed to any personal identification without consent. 4.0 Methodological Limitations There were a number of limitations regarding the topic of this research. As it is a difficult topic to research, being in the category of prisons, prisoners are deemed as vulnerable groups to interview which decreases my chances of gathering primary source data. This lowered the chances of getting to do interviews in Shelton Abbey prison even though there was contacts to the prison. There was only so much information that could be received from the prison. There was also a limitation on data and statistics that has been published by prisons on prisoner’s achievements and afterlife. This is because a lot of prisoner’s do not want anything to do with prison after their release and therefore they do not give any feedback on how they are doing now. Some of the questions that were on the questionnaire got a ‘no data’ or a ‘no answer’ comment. This is because there are boundaries that the prison services adhere to and will not cross if the information is unsuitable to the public or cannot be published. 4.1 Reflection on research experience This project was an exciting but challenging experience. Considering the limited time to carry out this research project that resulted in it being a challenging experience. I chose the Irish Prison Rehabilitation Service as my topic because there has been an increase in emphasis on successful rehabilitation as a primary goal of the Irish Prison Service so I wanted to get a deeper understanding of how the Irish Prison Service commits to this. I also wanted to use this dissertation as an opportunity to prompt further research on rehabilitation in comparison to other EU methods of optimal preparation for prisoners.
  • 21. 17 Christina Gibney 13333206 2016 SOCIAL POLICY Chapter 4. Findings 5.1 Introduction Chapter four is the findings from the research project. This section is a discussion of what was gathered from the data collection as outlined in the previous chapter. The findings section is supported by a conceptual framework in order to present the findings appropriately. The analytical perspective that the data collection was based on is rehabilitation. The primary documents used are ‘A Strategic Review of Penal Policy’ completed by the Review Group in 2014. This is used to discuss the negativity of the current prison system. Secondly ‘Implimentation and Impact of The Method Giving Up Crime’ by Nelissen and Scheurs in 2008 and lastly the S.M.A.R.T Program (Stress Management and Rehabiliation Training). This section includes related literature from chapter two to support the findings and recommendations alongside brief support from the completed questionnaire. The fundamental aim of carrying out the findings was to explore the extent to which the current prison rehabilitation programme, ISM is sufficient to all Irish prisoners. This chapter discusses the findings that were gathered on the defects of the current prison state and the shortcomings of the current Irish ISM program. It also highlights the significance of the recommendations found through an international based documentary analysis on a document on Giving up Crime from the Netherlands and a document on S.M.A.R.T from America. The Irish prison service and its associates should consider the recommendations as a means of improving prisoner rehabilitation in Ireland considering these means of rehabiliation are successful in these countries. An international comparison will recommend the possible changes for imposing sufficent Irish rehabiliation. 5.2 Increasing Re-offending numbers According to the Review Group (2014) reducing reoffending behaviour has been identified as a key goal of the criminal justice and penal system. To ensure that reoffending rates remain minimal the rehabilitation and support for prisoners must be accommodated. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) played a vital role in establishing the extent to which the rehabilitation service are adequate in Ireland. According to the CSO (2015) individuals who were released
  • 22. 18 Christina Gibney 13333206 2016 SOCIAL POLICY from the custody of the Irish prison service in 2009 reoffended within the first three years of their release. In 2009, some 7,507 individuals were released from the custody of the Irish prison service … of these, 3,563 (47.5%) re-offended within a three-year period (CSO 2015). The underlying cause of these increasing re-offending rates are because of a lack of educational opportunities within the prison service. As mentioned in chapter 2 according to Citizens Information (2014), prisoners have a right to education whilst in prison. However in contrast, the questionnaire that was completed as part of data collection concluded that education in the prison service is not compulsory. “What percentages of offenders are availing of the education service today? Roughly 50% of the prisoner population avail of education on a daily basis. Attendance in not compulsory” This is an inadequate percentage of the prison population. Attendance should be compulsory. There is a need for fairness within the Irish prison service. The answer to the number of prisoners availing of education is 50% of the population is because of overcrowding. The prison service cannot afford to provide education to all prisoners due to the high prison population. Relative to the overall cost of the prison system, education is minor really, but it has been cut disproportionately in recent years in relation to other activities (Warner 2014). The cuts to the education system have signifcanctly affected the opportunities to the other half of the population. 5.3 Overcrowded Irish Prisons The underlying cause of these high re-offending rates are inadequate and provide insufficient services and management programmes to all prisoners. If we take for example the Integrated Sentence Management. As discussed in the literature review ISM is aimed to motivate prisoners to participate in the prison services to prepare them with skills and knowledge prior their release from prison. The Review Group however are concerned with the negative impact of overcrowding on the provision of programmes (The Review Group 2014). This statement is in conjunction with the literature in chapter two on overcrowding as a major implication for the management and effectiveness of prisoner preparation for release in Irish prisons. It interfers with the time management needed for preperation of offender performance prior to their release into society.
  • 23. 19 Christina Gibney 13333206 2016 SOCIAL POLICY ‘Would you classify the Irish prison education system as well developed in relation to a European prison edication perspective? Why? – Yes, well-resourced with a highly motivated teaching cohort’ Thus increasing the percentage of re-offending within three years prior to release. According to Lally the latest data for 2014 reveals committals have increased, with 15,049 recorded in the first 11 months of the year (2015). This high number of committals reflects the lack of resources and time to prepare offenders. It signifantly affects the availability of officers to assist offenders with planning for accomodation and employment opportunities before their release back into the community. In comparison, according to Lally the statistic of 2014 compares to 14,857 committals to prison in the Republic from Januart to November in 2013 (2015). The United Nations Human Rights Committee said Ireland is overusing prison as a punishment, noting that last year the vast majority of prisoners – 89% - were serving sentences of less than 12 months (The Journal 2014). The overcrowded prisons has results in shorter prison sentences and release with no support from the prison. This increases re-offending rates. 5.4 Availability of ISM to Selected Offenders Only As discussed in the literature review ISM is a procedure of reviewing prisoners progression of their level of dedication in actively engaging in the prison services. It aims to motivate prisoners to participate in activites and education in preparation for their release. However from the documentary anaylsis a conclusion was formulated that the ISM does not avail for all offenders. It generally applies to prisoners sentenced to 12 months or more (Review Group 2014). The Review Group are concerned with the inconsistent availability of the ISM across the prisons estate. This is another underlying reason that the ISM is failing to support and rehabilitate prisoners. ISM is not mandatory to all prisoners. There was general agreement among the participants of the prisoner focus groups that sentence management and progressive sentence planning were positive but not all participants had full knowledge of ISM with some having no experience of a sentence plan, however there was a willingness to participate in ISM but also a view that is should be more consistently applied (Review Group 2014). During prison visits as part of the Review by the Review Group, members of the Group were impressed with the quality of programmes and services available to prisoners although there is concern at the extent to which they are available to some prisoners in some prisons (The Review Group 2014). As we can see with relation to the literature review the shortcoming of the high re-offending
  • 24. 20 Christina Gibney 13333206 2016 SOCIAL POLICY rates illustrated by the CSO are results of the unavailability of services to all prisoners. In 2011 The Minster for Justice and Equality, Shatter commented that since summer 2008 approximately 2,200 prisoners have been offered participation in ISM and approximately 1,700 were participating at the end of May 2011 (Handelaar 2011). Through this analysis it is concluded that this does not count for every prisoner as 1,700 participants is a relatively small number in conjunction with the Irish prison population of 17,318 in 2011 (Annual Prison Report 2011). 5.5 “Giving up Crime – An Inspiring Method” : Dutch Prisons From analsing ISM above we can see that the ISM model of motivating prisoners to particpate in education and activities in prison may not be the best means of prepering prisoners for rehabilitation. In summary the Irish prison service are faced with 1) overcrowding issues 2) a lack of availaility of ISM to all prisoners 3) prison education cuts. As a result of overcrowding prison sentences are short which interfers with the time needed to be educated and skilled. It is a vicious cycle which needs more attention. The next section is an analsis of a successful program that was founded in the Netherlands. The aim of this section is to create an awarness of international models of rehabiliation which from anaylsing the Irish prison system we may need to consider. “Our current prison system does not stimulate prisoners’ self-determination sufficiently” (Nelissen 2016). One possible program that has a high chance of being successful in Ireland is the Giving up Crime method. Giving up Crime is an innovative book based on a theoretically framework that enhances self-determination and self-change. Considering the educational cuts as highlighted by Warner alongside the critiques of overcrowded prisons and a lack of availability of ISM, the Giving up Crime method provides prisoners with a workbook that wil educate themselves without the need of resources or teachers. It will also facilitate offenders after they are released from prison which will keep offenders behaviour and actions at bay. ‘What is the number of teachers employed in the year 2015? 220’ If the Irish system introduced Giving up Crime the high number of teachers 220, could be signifcantly reduced saving money whilst still increasing prisoner preperation and rehabiliation. According to Nelissen (2016) Givng up Crime is a cost-efficent workbook that enhances self determination. As Giving up Crime is based on a workbook cohort of teaching it
  • 25. 21 Christina Gibney 13333206 2016 SOCIAL POLICY can prepare prisoners without the need of teachers. This also free’s up officers time and results in a less stressed working force. Giving up crime is a very successful programme that was introduced in the Netherlands by Nelissen and Schreurs in 2008. It was that successful that it was introduced into all Dutch prisons. It is effectively running to this day in all Dutch prisons. Nelissen and Schreurs had concerns for the rehabilitation of prisoners. Nelissen and Schreurs argues that the problems that obstruct the progress being made in this area of successful rehabilitation are multiple (2016). Similarly in Ireland, there is major concerns regarding the rehabilitation of Irish prisoners. The fundamental goal of this documentary analysis on this program is to create an awareness of such a successful programme that is used to rehabilitate and support prisoners both during and after release from prison. If the Irish prison service considered this recommendation to be launched into Irish prisons it may be a huge benefit to the increasing recidivism rates. The Giving up Crime method was so successful that it was implemented in all Dutch prisons as part of the Modernization Programme launched by the Dutch Custodial Institution Agency in 2008 (Nelissen and Schreurs 2016). Unlike ISM in Ireland as an optional means to prepare prisoners for rehabilitation, Giving up Crime is based on a mandatory model. All prisoners in Dutch prisons have no option but to engage with the Giving up Crime workbook. A second critique is that the Giving up Crime method does not rely on the prison officers to plan the prisoner’s future life and to take responsibility. A major assumption of the method of Giving up Crime is that we can ameliorate the cost of this practice by viewing the prisoner him- of herself as the major agent or owner of his change process … the method enables the prisoner to take responsibility for his current and future life, starting from day one of his imprisonment (Nelissen and Schreurs 2016). How to implement Giving up Crime into Irish Prisons According to Nelissen if you are interested in the implementation of the workbook Givng up Crime in your country, these are the steps to take (Nelissen 2016). 1. Identify members of your organization who are open for innovative approaches and committed to ameliorate urgent problesm such as the lack of proper programme of purposeful and constructive regime activities for (remand) prisoners, lack of staff training, problems related to overcrowding, lack of education and pre-release activites 2. Involve them in the implementation process of the method
  • 26. 22 Christina Gibney 13333206 2016 SOCIAL POLICY 3. Invite them for an information meeting about the method and discuss how it can be implemented and what staff members and prison officers can gain from this method 4. Start on a small scale with a pilot group in a few prisons, with a group of motivated prison officers (or other pilot personnel) and detainees. Create spaces outside the cell were small groups of prisoners and prison personnel can work with the moethod 5. One member of the supervising staff should take the role of coordinator and solve problmes if necessary 6. Evaluate the experiences throughout the process (Nelissen 2016). As mentioned in the literature reivew major challenges to prison systems throughout Europe is to prepare prisoners for release (Nelissen and Schreurs 2016). It is important that the Irish prisons service acknowledge alternative means of preparing prisonsers. Therefore the following table is an overview of the possible benefits of introducing Giving up Crime into Ireland. The benefits are both for the prisoner’s increased satisfaction of rehabiliation success and prison officers work satisfaction. The following table is a summary highlighting the main advantages of introducing Giving up Crime in Ireland. An analysis of the current Irish prison system and ISM that was discussed above is used to conclude the significance between Giving up Crime and our current system. Advantages of implementing Giving up Crime in Ireland Comments/Reccomendation Cost efficient Save expensives on paying staff and training i.e. cuts down on the 220 staff employed in Irish prisons in 2015 as no teachers are needed as it is self-learning. Mandatory workbook ISM in Ireland is not mandatory. This mandatory workbook increases prisoner engagement instantly with no choice Increased relationship between prisoner and personnel Increases prisoner satisfaction and thus, increasing motivation for participating with rehabilation preperation Easy to implement Easy for Irish prison services to introduced Giving up Crime to increase rehabiliation
  • 27. 23 Christina Gibney 13333206 2016 SOCIAL POLICY Enhances work satisfaction of prison officers More cooperative work force in the prison goal of successful rehabilitation Supports detainees before and after release This would decrease the three year reoffending rate that is a problem in Ireland Increased willingness to change Through preperation for high risk situations and developing practical skills which increases the chances of successful rehabilation Reduces criminal motivation Creating a safer environment Short sentences are not a problem The workbook remains in detainees posession after their release to continue with their learning Figure 1. Advantages of introducing Giving up Crime in Ireland 5.6 Conclusion This section presents the key findings from this research project. It is closely linked with chapter two to support the data collection with proven existing literature. The primary aim of this research project was to explore the rehabilitation in Irish prisons. Within this the objectives were to explore the modernization of the prison service and to identify the problems that prisons are currently being faced with that are affecting the rehabilitation of prisoners. The study also explored other programmes that are currently in place in additional EU countries. The findings concluded that the Irish prison service is failing to prepare all prisoners equally for release into society. As a solution, keeping in mind the problems in Irish prisons the findings recommended a very successful Dutch program. The founder of the program highly encourages this program to be implemented into other EU countries. The literature review was very useful in identifying the problems in Irish prisons which was used to work closely with a possible international program that would counteract these problems. The result was Giving up Crime – a Dutch program.
  • 28. 24 Christina Gibney 13333206 2016 SOCIAL POLICY Chapter 5. Conclusion This dissertation has discussed the issue regarding prisoner rehabilitation in Ireland. As discussed in the literature review inadequate prisoner rehabilitation is an increasing issue due to multiple factors. The literature review has identified the current issues that the Irish prison service are facing today. The findings chapter has discussed possible recommendations regarding increasing prisoner satisfaction alongside increasing prison officers work satisfaction. In order for the current system to work at its optimal ability it is important to consider promising resolutions that are successful for other EU countries. The contribution of this research project on the current system was to engage our prison system with additional EU countries. This may influence the Government and the prison service Governors to further this issue. The ISM model has been successful in preparing and motivating prisoners. However considering the issues that the current prison system are faced with in particular overcrowding, availability of ISM to selected prisoners only and cuts to the education service, there needs to be more attention to considering a method that will successfully work to overcome these issues. According to Warner (2012) the access of the average prisoner to services such as education and training can be very limited, due to lock-up times of close to 17 hours a day. This research dissertation suggests easy alternatives to these problems that the Irish prisons need to start considering. Why are our prisoners not supplied with a fundamental workbook or an alternative way of learning that they can use productively in their cell instead of looking at the walls? Knowing that their chances of reoffending within the three year period is increasing by the day due to the lack of opportunities they have to be educated. Amongst many international programmes of prisoner rehabilitation Giving up Crime is a particular interesting method of rehabilitaiton. Through existing literature it was gathered that the Giving up Crime could be a very successful model in Irish prisons considering the current issues. Giving up Crime method is inexpensive in multiple ways i.e. no teachers needed and no additional resources needed. Giving up Crime method is based on a self-teaching cohort that is mandatory in Dutch prisons. This research projects recommends looking elsewhere for a more successful program for Irish prisons. Having a mandatory program while eliminate the non-mandatory means of preparing selected prisoners for rehabilitation will benefit the wider prison population and thus benefitting society. The findings suggest an alternative method of rehabilitation after analysing the current state of the Irish prison service. With the issues of overcrowded Irish prisons, a lack of availability of
  • 29. 25 Christina Gibney 13333206 2016 SOCIAL POLICY ISM to all prisoners, cuts in the education service, long lock up hours and as a result, increasing reoffending rates within the three year period the resolution that may be the most satisfying to Irish prisoners is the Giving up Crime method. Through the analysis it is concluded that Giving up Crime could have the capability to eliminate or significantly reduce the number of issues in our Irish prisons.
  • 30. 26 Christina Gibney 13333206 2016 SOCIAL POLICY Bibliography Scottish Publisher DC Thomson (1965) Irish Prison Registers 1970-1924, http://www.findmypast.ie/articles/world-records/full-list-of-the-irish-family-history- records/institutions-and-organisations/irish-prison-registers-1790-1924, accessed 11/2/16. E2BN (2006), Transportation, http://vcp.e2bn.org/justice/section2196-transportation.html, accessed 11/2/16. Cengage Learning (2016), The Prison Reform Movement, http://www.encyclopedia.com/article-1G2-2587100021/prison-reform-movement.html, accessed 11/2/16. Nelissen, P and Schreurs, Marie L. (2016) Giving up Crime Method. Maastricht. Amnesty International (2016) Growing Up On Death Row: The Death Penalty and Juvenile Offenders in Iran. London: Peter Benenson House. Nelissen, P and Schreurs, M (2016) Giving up Crime, http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/standardsetting/prisons/Conference_19_files/Nelissen%20Schreurs %20presentation%20Helsinki.pdf, accessed 18/3/16. Thomson (2016) Find Your Ancestors in Irish Prison Registers 1790-1924, http://www.findmypast.ie/articles/world-records/full-list-of-the-irish-family-history- records/institutions-and-organisations/irish-prison-registers-1790-19244, accessed 25/2/16. Snow, Kathryn and Gillam, Lynn. 2015. “What are prisons for? Answering that is the starting point for reform.” Retrieved February 24, 2016 (http://theconversation.com/what-are-prisons- for-answering-that-is-the-starting-point-for-reform-40298). Lally, C. (2 January 2015) Prison overcrowding eases despite the rise in numbers jailed, The Irish Times. Citizens Information (2015) “Prisoner’s Rights” http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/justice/prison_system/prisoners_rights.html, accessed 17/3/16. Warner, Kevin (2014) “‘From scumbag to student’: The power of prison education.” http://www.thejournal.ie/irish-prison-education-1472729-May2014/, accessed 17/3/16. Irish Probation Service (2014) Annual Report. Dublin 7: Probation Service. The Review Group (2014) Strategic Review of Penal Policy Final Report. Dublin.
  • 31. 27 Christina Gibney 13333206 2016 SOCIAL POLICY Houses of the Oireachtas (2013) Report on Penal Reform. Dublin: Government Publications. Handelaar, J (2011) Dail Debates Written Answers https://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2011-06-23.1155.0, accessed 11/2/16. Irish Prison Service (2011) Annual Report of the Irish Prison Service. Ballinalee: Irish Prison Service HQ. Campbell, K (2010) Rehabilitation Theory, https://marisluste.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/rehabilitation-theory.pdf, accessed 18/3/16. Huebner, B (2009) Rehabilitation, http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo- 9780195396607/obo-9780195396607-0046.xml, accessed 18/3/16. Mogalakwe, Monageng. 2006. “The Use of Documentary Research Methods in Social Research” Sociologist 10:221-230. Bell, J. (2005) Doing Your Research Project. Berkshire: Open University Press Wilson, B and Ridner, A (2003), Prisons: History, Characteristics and Purpose, http://study.com/academy/lesson/prisons-history-characteristics-purpose.html, accessed 11/2/16. Foucault, M (1980), Power/Knowledge: Selected Interviews and Other Writings, 1972-1977. Trans. Colin Gordon et al. New York: Pantheon. Foucault, M (1977), Discipline and Punishment. London: Tavistock