Only 57 of the 924 sex offenders jailed in the past five years have agreed to undergo a treatment programme in prison designed to reduce the risk of reoffending, new figures have revealed.

There was a 37 percent increase in the number of people imprisoned for sexual offences last year, and 598 sex offenders are currently behind bars in the country’s 14 places of detention.

However, only seven of these signed up for the Building Better Lives (BBL) programme last year, followed by another 11 to date in 2023. Inmates who enrol in the programme are 3.5 times less likely to reoffend, according to the prison service.

A major review of the programme is currently underway in an effort to address low participation rates, according to Minister for Justice Helen McEntee.

More than 60 percent of the 598 sex offenders currently serving time in Ireland are currently accommodated at the Midlands Prison in Portlaoise, while nearly one in five are detained in Arbour Hill.

Nearly half of the sex offenders behind bars are aged over 50, while another 20 percent are between 40 and 50. A total of 11 are in the much-younger age bracket of between 18 and 21.

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The statistics were revealed by Ms McEntee in response to a parliamentary question from Fianna Fáil TD Éamon Ó Cuív.

The BBL programme consists of two parts: a 12-week course titled Exploring Better Lives, followed by between 60 and 70 sessions called Practising Better Lives. Groups of eight can participate in the programme at any one time.

“The Building Better Lives programme is the sex offender treatment programme delivered in the Irish Prison Service, and is based on the Canadian Rockwood Model and jointly delivered with the Probation Service,” explained Ms McEntee.

“The BBL programme is currently undergoing a major review by a Canadian expert, Professor Liam Marshall, and a final report is expected in the coming weeks.”

The minister said a new model would subsequently be developed to incorporate a “multi-trajectory, person-centred, and trauma-informed” approach to the understanding and treatment of sexual violence.

“This will directly address currently low participation rates, and will seek to increase the numbers accessing treatment,” she added.

Ms McEntee also said additional funding had been secured for prison psychologists this year, and a senior psychologist and principal psychologist specialist would be recruited to support the delivery of the new programme.

She said the new approach would focus on early intervention and would provide a way to engage with sex offenders who deny their crimes, those who are at low risk of re-offending, and those who are serving short sentences, who are currently precluded from enrolling in the programme.

“These changes should result in a significant reduction in the barriers to treatment, thereby significantly increasing access to sexual violence treatment,” said the minister.

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