New plans to monitor sex offenders published

Gardaí may get new powers to track sex offenders on their release from prison, including the use of electronic tagging, the Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern said today.

Mr Ahern, who was addressing a Forum on the Management of Sex Offenders in Dublin, said a consultation process was underway on reforming the way in which offenders are monitored once they are returned to the community.

The proposals follow the publication of a report in January – The Management of Sex Offenders: A Discussion Document– which sought to examine the issue of treating sex offenders. It was drawn up by a working group of representatives of the Department, the Garda Siochana, the Prison Service, the Probation Service and Cosc, the body dealing with domestic and gender-based violence.

Mr Ahern said it is proposed that new statutory powers will be given to the Garda and the Probation Service to more effectively and efficiently monitor released sex offenders. The Probation Service would be given the power to apply to the courts to impose new conditions on sex offenders who are to be subject to post-release supervision orders.

The Minister said that in appropriate cases, gardaí, probation officers and the prisons staff would consult on how best to reintegrate released offenders into the community.

In addition, a network of local risk management committees would be established to monitor high risk offenders. These committees would have the power “to take what ever action they determine is necessary”, Mr Ahern said. Among the measures being considered was the possibility of electronically tagging offenders.

Standardised, evidence based risk assessments of each offender would be carried out and shared between gardaí, probation officers and the prisons. Courts would also be offered a risk assessment of offenders to aid during sentencing.

Mr Ahern also said prisons would introduce new treatment programmes for sex offenders in jails.

“There are some key provisions being proposed. I would hope to implement these subject to whatever may emerge from our current consultative process which may produce new and better proposals,” Mr Ahern said. “The Project Board looking at this issue, led by the Probation Service, has begun this work and will report back to me.”

Mr Ahern told the forum that legislation to cut the period of time within which sex offenders must register with gardaí following their release or arrival in Ireland was to be introduced. He said offenders will be allowed three days instead of the current seven before which they must sign on with gardaí. A penalty of five years in jail for failing to do so would be introduced, he said.