Resettlement & Reintegration
Resettlement and reintegration are central to the Irish Prison Service’s mission of reducing reoffending and supporting safer communities. From the earliest stages of a person’s sentence, the Service adopts a structured, sentence-planning approach that identifies individual risks, needs, and strengths and develops a personalised plan to meet these factors.
Reintegration is strengthened through collaboration with community partners and statutory agencies, ensuring continuity of support in preparation for, and after release. The Irish Prison Service works closely with the Probation Service, Education and Training Boards, the Health Service Executive, various Government Departments and agencies, and Community Based Organisations including housing bodies and after prison support services to address accommodation, education and employment, financial, mental health, addiction and healthcare needs, as well as family connections.
By promoting stable transitions back into society the Irish Prison Service aims to support desistance from crime, enhance public safety, and contribute to social inclusion for those leaving custody.
Community Return
The Community Return Programme is an incentivised early release scheme co-managed by the Irish Prison Service and the Probation Service. It commenced in October 2011 and is now operational in every county and from every prison in the State. The Programme has been supported by the reallocation of resources and key personnel from within both services.
The Programme targets well behaved prisoners serving sentences of between 1 and 8 years imprisonment who are making genuine efforts to desist from reoffending. Prisoners serving sentences of less than one year are ineligible for Community Return and may instead be considered for release under the Community Support Scheme. The legislative basis for making decisions on temporary release is fully set out in the Criminal Justice Act 1960, as amended by the Criminal Justice (Temporary Release of Prisoners) Act 2003. Each application is considered on its individual merits and in line with the legislative provisions.
Integrated Sentence Management
Integrated Sentence Management (ISM) is a collaborative approach used within the Irish Prison Service to support the effective management of a person’s sentence from committal to release. It brings together the entire multi-disciplinary team to support assessment of risks, identification of needs and strengths, and agree clear sentence goals.
Through regular review meetings, progress is monitored and interventions such as education, offence related treatment programmes, work and training, and mental health and addiction services are coordinated in a structured way. Community Integration Plans are discussed and agreed toward the end of a person’s sentence, supporting structured reintegration plans.
Preparing for Release
The Irish Prison Service supports preparation for release through a coordinated, multi-disciplinary approach that begins early in a person’s sentence. Tosú Training and Employment Officers (TEOs) and Resettlement Coordinators (RCs) are central to release planning. TEOs link people in custody with external education, training and employment opportunities and RCs coordinate accommodation, primary care support, medical card and financial supports are in place in preparation for release.