Ó An Roinn Breisoideachais agus Ardoideachais, Taighde, Nuálaíochta agus Eolaíochta; An Roinn Dlí agus Cirt
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Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris and Minister for Law Reform James Browne today co-chaired the first meeting of the Prison Education Taskforce, which was held in Mountjoy Prison.
The aim of the Prison Education Taskforce is to ensure education and training opportunities are available to prisoners. This will support their rehabilitation and access to employment post-release.
The taskforce is comprised of representatives from both departments, the Irish Prison Service, SOLAS, the National Apprenticeship Office, Education and Training Boards Ireland, the Probation Service and former prisoners.
The workplan for 2023 was agreed today and sets out key priority areas, including access to apprenticeships and retrofitting, which the taskforce will focus on and progress this year.
Speaking today, Minister Harris said:
“I was delighted to co-chair the first meeting of the Prison Education Taskforce with my colleague Minister James Browne today.
“This taskforce has the potential to significantly improve labour market readiness for persons in custody on release by realising the potential for greater alignment across the prison education and training services and tertiary provision.
“This is all about ensuring persons in custody can access education and training opportunities, and hopefully access employment, or indeed further or higher education, on release.”
Minister Browne said:
“We know that support, education and employment are all key factors in preventing people from reoffending. People who are given access to education and employment opportunities are more likely to go on to build crime free lives. The Taskforce that Minister Harris and I have led today will help ensure that we can continue to give people in custody the best opportunity to maximise their skills and their employment prospects post-release.
"That people in custody will have meaningful opportunities to build skills and the associated sense of self-belief that is crucial to building their confidence to a point where they are able to put themselves forward for job opportunities post release. This will have a positive impact not just on that individual, but it will also be felt by their families and communities.
"The introduction of this taskforce was an objective identified in Justice Plan 2023 and I am very pleased to see it realised in such a swift manner.”
An outline of agreed actions and the next work programme will be brought to Government by both ministers by the end of the year.