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Welcome to the EuroPris Knowledge Management System. The table below shows questions and responses from European National Agencies. Select a question for more information or use the filters on the left to narrow down questions based on Agency or Category.
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Introduction: The Director General of the Irish Prison Service (IPS) previously commissioned the 2017 report ‘Examination of the Sentence Management of People Serving Life Sentences’. The IPS has developed a three year implementation plan to execute the report’s recommendations. Within this context, the IPS is seeking to enhance outcomes with regard to transitioning to community/more independent living amongst a cohort of our longer serving people in custody who exhibit indicators of institutionalisation, such as: failure of multiple efforts to progress to release; self-sabotage and/or repeated substance/alcohol misuse relapses when faced with transitions to more open conditions; and consequently spending significantly longer in custody than the average sentence length for a particular crime.
The Department of Prison and Probation Service does not have or operate after a specific definition of institutionalization. We do not have specific developed programs to target long time prisoners like eg. inmates serving a life sentence.
What, if any specific practices/initiatives/policies do you have to support institutionalised people in custody transition to community and more independent living?For all prisoners the goal is on one hand to carry out the punitive sides of the punishment and on the other hand to support the inmates in serving their sentence in a proper way and to prepare them for release and reintegration in society. This is done with an individual approach to the specific inmate within the general frames of the enforcement eg. by selecting relevant regime/security level for serving the sentence - maximum security prison, open prison, specifies units meeting the needs of the individual inmate, half way house before release – individual actions plans, maintaining contact to relatives and friends through visits, a right to treatment for abuse of drugs, somatic deceases etc., anger management programs etc, relevant offers of activities and education, leaves from prison, early release – normally after serving 2/3 of the sentence, in special cases after ½, on relevant individual conditions. For general information we attach our official Programme of Principles. You are too very welcome to contact us for further information.
Is your agency currently developing new or updating specific practices/initiatives/policies in relation to institutionalised people in custody? If you have practices or initiatives in place for this group, do evaluations or audits exist that could function to provide potential ‘lessons learned’ for the Irish context?We do not have and are not currently developing such initiatives and we unfortunately do not specifically relevant remarks to these question.
If you have attempted and struggled to develop policy and/or practices to support institutionalised people in custody transition to more independent living, what advice might you have for similar efforts in the Irish context?please se above
Are you willing to be contacted for follow-up discussion of your experiences with developing support to more independent living amongst institutionalised people in custody?yes
Attachments:
SPS does not itself have a separate definition of institutionalisation, but recognises the concept in clinical psychology as referring to deficits or disabilities in social and life skills, which develop after a person has spent a very long period living incarcerated in prison or another remote institution.
What, if any specific practices/initiatives/policies do you have to support institutionalised people in custody transition to community and more independent living?There is a considerable body of evidence to support the view that there are a number of basic factors that can contribute to reducing any tendency towards institutionalisation. Working with those in custody to address these factors can aid desistance from offending and help to support more successful re-integration. These factors include: • education; • employment; • drug and alcohol misuse; • mental and physical health; • attitudes and self-control; • institutionalisation and life-skills; • housing; • financial support and debt; and • family networks. SPS supports and strives to deliver a policy of providing an appropriate package of interventions for those in custody based on an assessment of their individual risk and needs, and aligned to these broad factors. Our interventions approach is delivered through a framework which identifies at an early stage the level of interventions and supports, including purposeful activity that those in custody should expect to receive wherever they are in the prison estate. Commensurate with their individual risks and needs, it also supports the preparation of a Community Integration Plan to carry this work forward into the community.
Is your agency currently developing new or updating specific practices/initiatives/policies in relation to institutionalised people in custody?SPS is currently evaluating its Custodial Adjustment Support and Transition (CAST) process which was introduced in the National Induction Centre (NIC) in Allanton Hall, HMP Shotts in October 2017. It is envisaged the CAST model will enable greater understanding, assessment and support for all individuals facing very long term imprisonment and anticipated that the model can evolve with a focus beyond single site capacity to various populations across the SPS estate. Criminological research has repeatedly identified long term imprisonment as a psychologically painful experience. Life and long sentence prisoners struggle to make sense of their sentences and experience acute threats to their well-being, identity and future. Some of the most common challenges these prisoners regularly face include stress, anxiety, anger, depression, loss, hopelessness, shame, poor physical well-being, substance dependency and low self-esteem. Psychological problems are often most intense at the commencement of very long sentences and if not addressed are likely to lead to the adoption of maladaptive coping strategies. This can exacerbate the harmful effects of long term imprisonment on the individual as well as presenting significant management difficulties for the SPS. To minimise the onset of any institutional tendencies, the NIC aims to provide an environment which is more therapeutic than that which can be offered elsewhere in the SPS estate. The NIC aims to offer a regime which: • Enables individuals to have time and space to reflect and come to terms with their sentence. • Supports individuals to make the transition to mainstream imprisonment - where the vast majority of their sentence will be served. • Addresses the psychological adjustment pains (anger, guilt, anxiety, shame, depression, hopelessness, loss etc.) which can inhibit successful transition to long term imprisonment. • Promotes individual autonomy.
If you have practices or initiatives in place for this group, do evaluations or audits exist that could function to provide potential ‘lessons learned’ for the Irish context?As above. Also - ‘An Exploratory Study of the Retreat from Release by Adult Male Life-Sentence Prisoners’, a Cambridge Masters Dissertation was completed by Stacy Woodrow in 2016
If you have attempted and struggled to develop policy and/or practices to support institutionalised people in custody transition to more independent living, what advice might you have for similar efforts in the Irish context?N/A
Are you willing to be contacted for follow-up discussion of your experiences with developing support to more independent living amongst institutionalised people in custody?Yes
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NIPS would define institutionalisation as a process where a person has been in custody for a period of time and fears the concept of functioning in the outside world, feeling only at home within a custodial setting with a fear of not being able to cope with resettling into society and making a positive contribution.
What, if any specific practices/initiatives/policies do you have to support institutionalised people in custody transition to community and more independent living?NIPS do not have a specific policy in relation to institutionalisation however NIPS believe that the Prisoner Development Model (PDM document attached) work with those in our care identifying risks, needs and strengths to reduce the risks identified build on need and prepare those in our care for transition back into our communities. For life sentence prisoners NIPS operate a temporary release and pre-release testing support programme from the three year pre-tariff stage to reduce risk of reoffending and address institutionalisation. This is included in NIPS document Managing Life Sentence Prisoners (Document attached)
Is your agency currently developing new or updating specific practices/initiatives/policies in relation to institutionalised people in custody?NIPS continually revises practice and policy to ensure our rehabilitation and release planning are fit for purpose and during a recent ( Published November 2018) by Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland (CJINI),Maghaberry Prison Rehabilitation and release planning was described as providing excellent support to reduce risk of harm and promote reintegration into the community.
If you have practices or initiatives in place for this group, do evaluations or audits exist that could function to provide potential ‘lessons learned’ for the Irish context?See CJINI Inspection of Maghaberry, pp50-55 http://www.cjini.org/TheInspections/Inspection-Reports/2018/October-December/Maghaberry
If you have attempted and struggled to develop policy and/or practices to support institutionalised people in custody transition to more independent living, what advice might you have for similar efforts in the Irish context?NIPS Prisoner journey from custody to community has been referred to in the PDM and lifer management documents( see attached).
Are you willing to be contacted for follow-up discussion of your experiences with developing support to more independent living amongst institutionalised people in custody?NIPS would share our experiences in the operation of the PDM/ Managing Life Sentence Prisoners.
Attachments:
Harmful effects such as apathy and loss of independence arising from spending a long time in an institution
What, if any specific practices/initiatives/policies do you have to support institutionalised people in custody transition to community and more independent living?The principles of equalization, counteraction and integration underlie all the penal law of the land. Their attention is to avoid hospitalization tendencies among the prisoners and foster the grazing integration. Concretely treatment programs for prisoners, who have already been hospitalized are not installed. However, they have access to all programs, such as Training Social Competences, Anti-Aggressive Training, Psycho-logical Individual and Group Talks, Reasoning & Rehabilitation. In addition, there are close cooperation’s with the assuming probation service, executions, relaxations and the establishment of external contacts for the effective preparation of the reintegra-tion.
Is your agency currently developing new or updating specific practices/initiatives/policies in relation to institutionalised people in custody?No.
If you have practices or initiatives in place for this group, do evaluations or audits exist that could function to provide potential ‘lessons learned’ for the Irish context?No.
If you have attempted and struggled to develop policy and/or practices to support institutionalised people in custody transition to more independent living, what advice might you have for similar efforts in the Irish context?Not applicable.
Are you willing to be contacted for follow-up discussion of your experiences with developing support to more independent living amongst institutionalised people in custody?No.
We don’t have our own definition of institutionalisation. However we agree with the generic definition where institutionalisation is described as the result of loss of independence and apathy following a long period in an institution.
What, if any specific practices/initiatives/policies do you have to support institutionalised people in custody transition to community and more independent living?Each year a number of inmates coming from a long period of incarceration are given the opportunity, some months before their release, to follow a social reintegration programme administered by an NGO. Other inmates are also assisted and allowed to benefit from pre-release leave in order for them to be engaged in a gainful employment before the termination of sentence. Other collaborations exist between our multidisciplinary team and national entities in order to offer aftercare and mentoring in the community upon release.
Is your agency currently developing new or updating specific practices/initiatives/policies in relation to institutionalised people in custody?For the past 2 years The Government has emabrked on a short/medium/long term strategy in order to better address, and dramtically improve our Correctional Services Division. Of recent, a Prison Brief was tabled for discussion with The Minister for Home Affairs and National Security, responsible for our Correctional Institution. This brief shall eventually evolve into a Prison design brief giving birth to a ten year plan for our Correctional Services. Meanwhile, 2 years ago, in partnership with a local NGO, a new resdiential rehabilitation and re-integration programme was launched. The results from this programme are so encouraging that the same programme is being expanded and during this year, a new residence shall be launched.
If you have practices or initiatives in place for this group, do evaluations or audits exist that could function to provide potential ‘lessons learned’ for the Irish context?N/A
If you have attempted and struggled to develop policy and/or practices to support institutionalised people in custody transition to more independent living, what advice might you have for similar efforts in the Irish context?One of the topics that are being addressed in the aforementioned Prison Brief is the enhancing and strengthening family therapy. We strongly feel that giving this aspect more support will attack on inter-generational crime as well as better prepare our correctional services residents for their pre-release integration programmes
Are you willing to be contacted for follow-up discussion of your experiences with developing support to more independent living amongst institutionalised people in custody?Yes we will be glad.
Our agency does not have a definition of our own. However, a commonly used and widespread definition in Sweden is as follows: The caring for individuals in institutions and their adaptation to routines characteristic of the institutional environment, and/or their loss of adaptation to life outside the institution.
What, if any specific practices/initiatives/policies do you have to support institutionalised people in custody transition to community and more independent living?According to the Act on Imprisonment enforcement of sentences of imprisonment shall be devised so as to facilitate the client’s adjustment in the community (re-socialization) and counteract negative consequences of deprivation of liberty. Enforcement shall, so far as possible and without neglecting the requirement to protect the community, focus especially on measures intended to prevent re-offending. An individual sentence plan shall be drawn up for each inmate. Enforcement shall be planned and devised after consultation with the inmate and in collaboration with the relevant authorities. The Prison Regulation states that the focus, upon release, should be specifically on practical measures that can facilitate the transition to a life in the society. Based on the inmate’s needs there should be collaboration between the Swedish Prison and Probation Service (SPPS) and the social services, healthcare, the Swedish Employment Service and the Swedish Social Insurance Service. If necessary, cooperation with other agencies, organizations and individuals should also take place. SPPS adheres to the principle of normalization, meaning that the clients’ needs, as far as possible, should be provided by the same community services that other citizens have access to. Thus, many measures are carried out in collaboration with other agencies that provide services to the clients. SPPS conducts its own treatment programs, as well as preparatory programs, and boosters within areas of criminality, violence, and substance abuse. Furthermore, SPPS collaborates with social service agencies, the Employment Agency, health care providers, and so on, to insure that the clients’ needs are met. According to the (SPPS) instructions, an individual sentence plan shall be established in order to design the enforcement in an efficient manner and prepare for the release. It should be individually devised to the circumstances of the individual case. If there is a decision that the inmate should be placed under supervision after the conditional release a probation officer is coordinating the inmates’ sentence plan. The inmate shall receive a copy of the plan. To design the enforcement in an efficient manner refers both to the need to protect society and consider prison security and that measures are taken to reduce the risk of recidivism, facilitate the inmate's adjustment in the community and counteract negative consequences of deprivation of liberty. The sentence and release plan is based on the principles of risk, need and responsivity (RNR). In the plan the client’s risks and needs have been well assessed and the specific criminogenic needs of the client are addressed with appropriate interventions. The sentence plan is designed to involve the client’s entire time within the SPPS, including supervision after conditional release. Thus, for those clients that shall be placed under supervision, a probation officer is given a coordinating role and is involved in the planning of the sentence from the very beginning. This allows for sketching a plan of the entire time in prison, possible early-release measures, and interventions during the supervisory period following conditional release. Some measures might be taken during a client’s time in prison to prepare the person for the transition from institution to community. Swedish prisons are classified as 1, 2 and 3. Class 1 prisons have the highest security followed by class 2 and 3. The client may be allocated to a prison in class 3 for the whole sentence or for some time before release, if the security risk assessments allow. Where a prisoner is allocated depends on a risk and needs assessment. Risk of flight, criminal ties to other prisoners, conviction and need of treatment are things that play a part in the assessment. The client may be granted different kinds of leaves. Some of them on a regular basis and can last for up to three days. During the leave the client can visit his och her family and participate in meetings to prepare for the release. Leaves are carried out together with staff, or by the inmates themselves depending on the risk assessment. There is also a special prison in class 3, Gruvberget, where inmates, for a period of two weeks, can live in conditions that are more open and participate in different kinds of courses. For most of these courses, the client’s family may participate, in which case the client and his or her family will stay in a house by themselves. There are four specific preparatory release measures to facilitate rehabilitation into society and to reduce inmates reoffending. These are - Activity release; the client is permitted outside the prison during daytime to perform work or education or participate in treatment programs. - Residential care; the client is placed in treatment based on the client’s needs, for the last part of the prison sentence, before conditional release. - Half-way house; the client is placed in the half-way house and is permitted to leave during daytime to perform work or education or participate in treatment programs. - Extended activity release; the client carries out the remainder of sentence at home, under supervision with electronic monitoring. He or she shall also participate in work or education or participate in treatment programs during daytime. The prison and probation office work together to prepare the specific preparatory release measures, with the prison taking the lead in assessment, investigation, and enforcement regarding activity release and residential care, and the probation office taking the lead in matters regarding half-way house and extended activity release.
Is your agency currently developing new or updating specific practices/initiatives/policies in relation to institutionalised people in custody?The SPPS is currently aiming to improve community collaboration via a specific governmental mission. The goal is to make sure that the client’s individual sentence plan identifies and connects with the appropriate and relevant service providers, before the conditional release. The client may also be in need of continuous and ongoing support by laymen contacts, for example through NGO’s working with gang defectors. This is to make sure that the time immediately after release from prison is structured and well organized, in order to reduce the risk of relapse. Probation offices in three Swedish cities will try new ways of collaborating during 18 months to gather experiences.
If you have practices or initiatives in place for this group, do evaluations or audits exist that could function to provide potential ‘lessons learned’ for the Irish context?Unfortunately, the SPPS cannot provide you with such evaluations.
If you have attempted and struggled to develop policy and/or practices to support institutionalised people in custody transition to more independent living, what advice might you have for similar efforts in the Irish context?N/A
Are you willing to be contacted for follow-up discussion of your experiences with developing support to more independent living amongst institutionalised people in custody?Yes.
Institutionalisation is not an item of interest for the Dutch Custodial Institutions Agency at this moment.
What, if any specific practices/initiatives/policies do you have to support institutionalised people in custody transition to community and more independent living?The Dutch Custodial Institutions Agency doesn't have any specific practices, initiatives or policy to support institutionalised people.
Is your agency currently developing new or updating specific practices/initiatives/policies in relation to institutionalised people in custody? If you have practices or initiatives in place for this group, do evaluations or audits exist that could function to provide potential ‘lessons learned’ for the Irish context? If you have attempted and struggled to develop policy and/or practices to support institutionalised people in custody transition to more independent living, what advice might you have for similar efforts in the Irish context? Are you willing to be contacted for follow-up discussion of your experiences with developing support to more independent living amongst institutionalised people in custody?In Finland, one of the objectives of the Criminal Sanctions Agency is to promote a gradual and controlled release. During the sentence term, the aim is to gradually transfer prisoners from closed prisons to open prisons and from open prisons to probationary liberty under supervision before their actual release. Over a third of the sentenced prisoners serve their sentences in open prisons and we continue to increase the use of probationary liberty under supervision. Prisoners serving a life sentence as well as other long-term prisoners can also be placed in open prisons towards the end of the sentence. The gradual release supports the prisoners’ independence and responsibility for their own matters. It motivates the prisoners to abstain from substances and alcohol and improve their possibilities in regard to education and employment.
What, if any specific practices/initiatives/policies do you have to support institutionalised people in custody transition to community and more independent living?Prisoners transferred to open prisons are required to commit themselves to abstinence from substances and alcohol. We test the use of substances and alcohol several times during the sentence and offer substance and alcohol abuse programmes. Prisoners serving a life sentence or other long prison sentence can also be placed in open prisons. Open prisons use various methods to reinforce the prisoners’ independence and responsibility for their own matters. In open prisons, the prisoners, among other things, make their own food, take part in different work activities, or study. It is also easier to get prison leaves in open prisons and, thus, maintain better contact with family and other close people. Open prisons prepare for a gradual and controlled release via probationary liberty under supervision. Prisoners can be placed in probationary liberty under supervision outside the prison a maximum of six months before the end of their sentence term. Preparations for probationary liberty are made in close cooperation with different civilian parties, home municipality, and third sector parties. Probationary liberty under supervision requires absolute abstinence from substances and alcohol, regular daily activities, and a place of residence outside the prison. The place of residence can be a halfway house, own home, a dormitory, or a rehabilitation unit. The obligation to participate in activities can mean studying, work, rehabilitation or, for instance, some family-related activity, such as taking care of your small child. Prisoners placed in probationary liberty are supervised with the help of electronic monitoring and regular visits. They are required to take responsibility and control of their everyday life. The prisoners also get support from the prison during the probationary liberty.
Is your agency currently developing new or updating specific practices/initiatives/policies in relation to institutionalised people in custody?We are developing a new prison concept, which applies new available technology. The goal is that the new technology helps to increase the prisoners’ independence and facilitate the operation of daily activities, such as studying and participation in different rehabilitative activities, by using, for instance, tablets.
If you have practices or initiatives in place for this group, do evaluations or audits exist that could function to provide potential ‘lessons learned’ for the Irish context?The statistics on probationary liberty under supervision show that those who are released through probationary liberty have a lower risk of reoffending. However, as the use of probationary liberty increases, the risk of interrupted probationary liberties increases, too.
If you have attempted and struggled to develop policy and/or practices to support institutionalised people in custody transition to more independent living, what advice might you have for similar efforts in the Irish context?The support and reinforcement of abstinence form substances and alcohol during the sentence term is very important. In addition, it is important to create networks outside the prison and, thus, build a strong support for the release phase.
Are you willing to be contacted for follow-up discussion of your experiences with developing support to more independent living amongst institutionalised people in custody?Yes.
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