Press release
Education and Training vital in transition “from custody to community”. Conference highlights role of prison and community education in supporting rehabilitation
Over 300 Further Education and Training (FET) leaders and practitioners, who gathered for their national conference on Wednesday 25 February, heard from the Irish Prison Service and people who have served prison sentences about the critical role played by Education and Training Boards (ETBs) in the Criminal Justice System, in delivering prison and community education, and about the need for continuity “beyond the prison gates”.
Addressing delegates at the Education & Training Boards Ireland (ETBI) National FET Conference in Cavan [25-26 February], Dr Emma Regan, Director of Care and Rehabilitation with the Irish Prison Service said: “Recent international analyses has found that people who engage in prison education are significantly less likely to reoffend. Post-secondary education shows the strongest effects, with vocational and adult basic education also delivering meaningful reductions. Education also improves employment outcomes, with increased likelihood of gaining employment following engagement.”
Dr Regan added: “We also know this is vital in supporting rehabilitation and public safety in the Irish context. CSO data shows over half of those released in 2019 reoffended within three years. However, if we are serious about reducing the figures, we must ensure that our interventions are supported beyond the prison gates and that there are joined-up education and training pathways from custody to community.”
Dubliner Robert Cullen spoke about the power of ETB Youthreach and Community Education programmes in his personal development and rehabilitation, and how Mountjoy Prison’s Alternative to Violence Programme (AVP) also marked a key transition in his life that benefits not just him: “My healing,” he said “has impacted my family, my children, my community and society as a whole.” Robert has developed his own project for people in prison, centred on masculinity which aims to open men’s minds to the damaging effects of patriarchal gender norms, and is also studying for an MA in Criminology.
Minister of State at the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Marian Harkin TD, speaking ahead of her address to the Conference [26 February] stated that: “Education and training provide structure, purpose and practical skills that can make a real difference in people’s lives. My Department is proud to support the ETBs in delivering prison and community education in partnership with the Irish Prison Service. This is about creating clear pathways and real opportunity, so that people have the supports they need to progress into further learning, training and employment.”
ETBI General Secretary Paddy Lavelle added: “Education Training Boards (ETBs) play a crucial role in supporting and providing education services to prisons, and work in partnership with the Irish Prison Service to ensure that these education programmes are innovative and comprehensive, reflecting the diverse needs of the prison population. This commitment is reinforced through our membership of the Prison Education Taskforce which aims to ensure education and training opportunities are available to all prisoners to support their rehabilitation and access to employment post-release.”
The two-day conference also included:
- An address by the apprentice electrician and Dancing with the Stars contestant, current Rose of Tralee Katelyn Cummins
- Keynote by economist, broadcaster and writer David McWilliams
- Workshops on key areas of ETB further education and training
The event in pictures
The organising team
