Do much more for ex prisoners

Do much more for ex prisoners

Started
13 November 2014
Petition to
David Ford justice minister Northern Ireland. (Room 221 Parliament Buildings Ballymiscaw Stormont Belfast Post Code:BT4 3XX) and 1 other
Petition Closed
This petition had 230 supporters

Why this petition matters

Started by Margaret McCabe

A goal of the prison reform programme was to lessen the costs associated with imprisonment. While NIPS was already attempting to decrease costs prior to the introduction of the reform programme, since its introduction, the cost per prisoner place in 2015/2016 has been reduced by approximately 27 percent from the cost per prison place in 2009/2010. While this is a substantial reduction, its achievement has brought a number of challenges which continue to affect the reform programme and work in this field. An issue facing NIPS and the reform programme is the management of those with severe and enduring mental health problems, personality disorders and those held in separated conditions. Concerns about the facilities available to deal with those with mental health and/or personality disorders are not new, with some concerns expressed as far back as the passing of the Government of Ireland Act 1920 (Ministry of Home Affairs, 1923). These concerns remain despite the reform programme and the transfer of prison healthcare to the Department of Health (Butler, 2016a; Committee for Health, 2016; Committee for Justice, 2016a). Attempts to resolve these concerns require legislative action, greater inter-departmental cooperation, and communication, improved capacity to deal with mental illness (including personality disorder and co-occurring disorders) amongst high-risk individuals in healthcare and justice settings as well as an ability and willingness by the Courts to divert such individuals to alternative institutions. Old prisons are also more expensive to run and do not facilitate rehabilitation of prisoners. Newer prisons can, "design out the dark corners which too often facilitate violence and drug-taking.
Major concerns over long-term solitary confinement which results in, some not all, And allegation's that is completely false in that the events that were alleged did not occur; An allegation that describes events that did occur, but were perpetrated by an individual who is not accused, and in which the accused person is innocent. Furthermore, prisoners subjected to long-term segregation, also, The block, is that they often tend to be the most disturbed and vulnerable, characterized by being young, institutionalized, with mental health difficulties and histories of self-harm and attempted suicide in most prisons.
Major concern over prisoners release from prisons, reforming back into societies lack the right professions stability of high standards to work with ex-prisoners on release & with their families in all professions concerned, lack of communication with all bodies concerned, also, with family members who want to help their loved ones be reformed back into societies. Lack of accommodation ( hostels & housing ) for ex-prisoners who don't have families to go home to, to help in their reform, that also don't want to be punished twice by being placed in sex offender hostels, as they have a different outlook as governments may see towards living with sex offenders, being placed to live with sex offenders on release from prisons only results in the ex-prisoner reoffending due to not being capable mentally to withstand such an offer, which results in going back to old ways, ( drug abuse-crime-low self-worth, also lost hope in societies to help them, lack of trust ) can cause death.
A major concern over not having a properly run service to what is needed on release also, due to mental health needs: A SideKick: Would go to their doctors with them, who is strong verbally and can get things happening. Tell the doctor what's the craic is and ask for a referral for the support they may need, the doctor will know which referrals if u be 100% honest. People get left behind because they really don't know what's out there for them, but there is the help, it's just finding it through a lot more needs to be done in mental health, a lot more.
A SideKick: Throw's you a text or call someday's depending on the individual needs to catch up on the criac, how's thing's how you feeling so on. Not meaning swinging of the phone, wee half hour chat or 15 minutes.
A SideKick: Go shopping with you, or for a coffee, make sure you keep appointments, for a wee half hour, depending on individual needs.
A SideKick: Speak's up. As the person who needs the help won't and that's how sometimes they go amiss, some people don't have anyone to do this.
A SideKick: For everyone with different mental health issues.. will help you with housing & government bodies applications and referrals be your voice until you find your own.
Am sure if most put their minds together it can be done.

Petition Closed

This petition had 230 supporters

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Decision-Makers

  • David Ford justice minister Northern Ireland.Room 221 Parliament Buildings Ballymiscaw Stormont Belfast Post Code:BT4 3XX
  • Michelle O'Neill health minister Northern Ireland.Room 364 Parliament Buildings, Ballymiscaw, Stormont, Belfast Post Code: BT4 3XX