Naomi Long
Prison experts and officials from around the world are convening this week at the Correctional Research Symposium, taking place in Belfast for the first time.
The event is organised every two years by the European Organisation of Prison and Correctional Services (EuroPris) and the International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA), and is this year being hosted by the Northern Ireland Prison Service.
The three-day conference is bringing together academics, public sector agencies, and other organisations to share evidence-based practices and research.
Northern Ireland’s justice minister, Naomi Long, addressed delegates at the symposium yesterday.
“Today, in Northern Ireland, the justice system is facing many of the same pressures being experienced in the rest of the United Kingdom, across Ireland and indeed globally,” she said.
“This includes delivering effectively within constrained budgets and with competing budgetary pressures in important areas like health and education. We are also managing a protracted and significant increase in the prison population within an aging prison estate.
“However, we want to build upon the many strands of partnership that are already happening in our prisons and beyond. We want to learn from others.
“When I look at the diverse range of topics and workshops that has been developed for the symposium, I can see connections that will lead to learning for everyone — how we support staff; the importance of desistance; protecting minorities; changing culture; understanding trauma; and how infrastructure can contribute to rehabilitation.
“Effecting meaningful change, through a renewed collaborative approach, will involve the development and implementation of initiatives to tackle some of the wider societal issues that contribute to offending behaviour. And, of course, additional resources will be required to make a real difference.”
Mrs Long added: “An approach based upon partnership is fundamental to the ethos and the work of the Northern Ireland Prison Service.
“The service works with over 40 individual organisations and those partnerships are focused on the core objective of rehabilitation and resettlement — preparing people in prison for life in the community.
“Our collective aim is to support and challenge individuals to address and change their offending behaviour, so that they can reintegrate into society and build a better future for themselves, and their families, that is free from criminality.
“In our prisons, voluntary and community sector partners deliver a suite of interventions, ranging from support to address addictions, mental health challenges, and past trauma, to programmes which support parenting skills, and programmes which challenge attitudes that lead to violence against women.
“A wide-ranging curriculum of educational, vocational and employability skills training is also delivered via partners from the further education sector.”
Gustav Tallving, executive director of Europris, said: “EuroPris is proud to co-host the fourth Correctional Research Symposium alongside the Northern Ireland Prison Service and the International Corrections and Prisons Association.
“The Correctional Research Symposium provides a valuable platform for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to share evidence-based approaches that support rehabilitation and safer communities.
“We commend the Northern Ireland Prison Service for its leadership in hosting this year’s symposium and for highlighting the critical role of collaboration, research, and innovation in shaping modern prison practices.
“The challenges facing correctional services are increasingly global in nature, and solutions often emerge from international dialogue and shared experiences.”
Natalie Boal, executive director of the International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA), said: “This symposium in Belfast represents exactly the kind of collaborative platform that drives innovation in correction.
“What we are witnessing in Northern Ireland, particularly the engagement with over 40 partner organisations, is an excellent model for other jurisdictions. This approach to rehabilitation and resettlement through multi-agency collaboration is precisely what modern corrections should strive for.
“The organising committee extends its sincere appreciation to the Northern Ireland Prison Service and Visit Belfast, whose invaluable support and dedication were instrumental in making the conference a resounding success.”
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