Only seven sex offenders participated in the Irish Prison Service’s dedicated Sex Offender treatment programme last year as the numbers of those jailed for sex offences soared.
New figures provided by the Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee TD (FG) show that only seven sex offenders participated in the IPS’s Building Better Lives (BBL) programme last year.
The low numbers participating in the BBL programme coincided with the numbers jailed for sex offences increasing by 69 or 36.5pc from 189 to 258 last year.
The 258 jailed last year include 26 who were sentenced to ten years and more in the courts.
The 258 sex offenders jailed in 2022 is the highest of any total over the past five years and follows the 189 jailed in 2021, 118 in 2020, 187 in 2019 and 172 in 2018.
In written Dail replies to Éamon Ó Cuív TD (FF) on the issue, Minister McEntee states that there are currently 598 sex offenders serving prison sentences across the Irish prison system.
The highest number is housed in the Midlands prison where 363 are serving prison terms while the next highest number, at 105, is at Arbour Hill prison in Dublin.
The figures show that more than half the number of the sex offenders jailed at Arbour Hill are older than 50 years of age accounting for 62 of the 105.
Those convicted sex offenders age over aged 50 across the prison system account for 288 - or 48pc - or the 598 sex offenders currently jailed.
In her reply, Ms McEntee reveals that after seven participated in the BBL programme in 2022, a further 11 are participating this year. Over the last five years, 57 offenders have participated in the programme.
Those who do participate must first admit to their crimes and in the response, Ms McEntee states that the BLL programme is currently undergoing a major review by a Canadian expert, Prof Liam Marshall and a final report is expected in the coming weeks.
The Minster states that following receipt of Prof Marshall’s report, a new model of treatment for sexual violence will be developed to incorporate a multi-trajectory, person centred and trauma informed approach to the understanding and treatment of sexual violence.
Ms McEntee stated: “This will directly address current low participation rates and will seek to increase the numbers accessing treatment.”
The Minster further stated that the additional funding secured for psychologists in 2023 will allow an additional senior psychologist and principal psychologist specialist to be recruited to support the delivery of this expanded sex offender treatment programme.
She said: "The new approach will focus on early intervention, a responsive model of treatment which will address a broader range of criminogenic needs and will include engaging with people who deny their offences, those who are at low risk of re-offending and/or those on short sentences who were previously excluded from the BBL Programme. These changes should result in a significant reduction in the barriers to treatment, thereby significantly increasing access to sexual violence treatment.”
The BBL programme is provided over two states - Exploring Better Lives which lasts 12 weeks and part two, Practising Better Lives which lasts 60 to 70 sessions. Typically, eight participants attend each group at any one time.
Ms McEntee revealed that the IPS provide other assessments and treatment for people convicted of sexual violence, depending on a person’s strengths, needs and risks, including individual offence focused work by the IPS psychology service.
