Northern Ireland Minister of Justice, David Ford MLA, and the Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence, Alan Shatter TD, today opened the fourth annual Cross-Border Public Protection Seminar to be held in Hillsborough Castle (Friday 15th November).
Ministers Shatter and Ford also met in the framework of the Intergovernmental Agreement on Co-operation on Criminal Justice Matters to discuss ongoing North-South co-operation across the range of criminal justice matters.
Today's seminar brings together representatives from probation services, police, prison and the Justice Departments North and South to consider what works in preventing offending and keeping communities safer. The event provides opportunities to share good practice and to explore ways to increase awareness of new initiatives.
Amongst the items to be discussed include having a co-ordinated response to dealing with mental health within criminal justice. The Probation Board’s Head of Psychology and Interventions, Geraldine O’Hare, will outline the progress made to date and challenges for the future [and reference the fact that 70% of prisoners have psychosis, a personality disorder or a substance misuse problem, and 73% of offenders in Probation’s caseload are assessed as having substance misuse problems].
Ursula Fernee, Manager in the Irish Probation Service, will consider how best to develop responses for young adult offenders and look at initiatives currently being developed. There will also be presentations on victims from An Garda Síochána, the Probation Board and the Northern Ireland Prison Service.
Northern Ireland Justice Minister David Ford today said: “There is great value in bringing criminal justice professionals from north and south together each year to share experience, good practice, knowledge and ideas – in this very important field of public protection. In May this year, I launched the Strategic Framework for Reducing Offending which sets out an over-arching approach to reducing offending, building a safer society and ensuring fewer people become victims of crime.
“Today's seminar will provide an excellent opportunity to set out what we are doing through that Framework in Northern Ireland and hear from colleagues in the South. This year, there will also be a particular emphasis on desistance – the process through which people cease and refrain from offending. This is a complex and challenging issue and I am interested to hear the discussion that will unfold.”
Turning to the wider Inter-Governmental Agreement on Co-operation on Criminal Justice Matters Minister David Ford continued: “The breadth of issues discussed at our meeting today shows the level of cooperation that exists between the North and South. We face a number of important issues - be it improving support for victims of crime, tackling organised criminality, protecting our citizens and addressing the ongoingsecurity situation. I welcome this further opportunity to meet with Minister Shatter and his colleagues. Our working relationship at all levels is incredibly positive as we work together to make the island ofIreland safer for everyone.”
Minister Alan Shatter added: “Co-operation and communication between agencies is an essential ingredient in the criminal justice system’s ability to contribute to desistance. For young offenders in particular, influencing a change in their criminal behaviour is best done by interventions containing flexible, supportive and rehabilitative provisions within the context of a co-ordinated youth justice system.” Minister Shatter also commented specifically on the issue of victims. “The victims of the offending behaviour that is the focus of your efforts have not been forgotten in the seminar. While acknowledging the legitimate efforts to rehabilitate offenders, victim concerns must also be addressed.”
Minister Shatter stressed his continued commitment to ensure the highest level of cross-border co-operation in the justice area: “Since taking office as Minister I have worked closely with David Ford in ensuring that the co-operation in policing and criminal justice remains a priority. We face the same challenges in both parts of the island in combating crime, managing offenders and supporting victims, and we will continue to work closely together in tackling them.”
15 November 2013
ENDS
Note to Editors:
1. The Intergovernmental Agreement on Co-operation on Criminal Justice Matters provides a framework for increasing and enhancing co-operation on criminal justice matters. Within the framework of the Agreement, the two Ministers oversee co-operation across the range of areas in the criminal justice field.
2. There is ongoing and structured North-South interaction and co-operation with regard to public protection, forensic science, youth justice, victims’ issues, managing registered offenders and social diversity issues.
3. The development and enhancement of co-operation under the Agreement is taken forward by a number of Advisory Groups. The Public Protection Advisory Group [PPAG], which is jointly chaired by the Director of the Probation Board for Northern Ireland and the Director of the Probation Service, has organised today's Seminar. This public protection group was established in 2006 to specifically address how increased cross-border co-operation could be taken forward and to implement the probation elements of the agreed work programme coming from Ministers.