Sex offenders to get risk analysis

SEX offenders are to be subjected to a new “risk analysis” before they are released from prison or serve their sentences in the community.

The system will determine the risk that offenders pose to the community and help in the formation of a plan to deal with that risk.

The measure is part of an all-island system for tracking and monitoring paedophiles and sex offenders.

The Probation Service is rolling out the system in the coming months and will apply it to certain categories of sex offenders.

Director of operations in the Probation Service, Vivian Geiran, said: “We’re introducing a very modern and well-tested risk assessment in relation to sex offenders. We are doing that in tandem with our counterparts in Northern Ireland.”

“Probation officers will undertake assessments on the risk posed by sex offenders of re-offending. On basis of that assessment, and specific issues that would be identified as risk factors, we would be able to even better plan our intervention and case management. That’s currently being rolled out in Northern Ireland by the probation board up there, they are working with the PSNI and the prison service,” he added.

Mr Geiran said the system will be applied to offenders who have served part of their sentence in prison followed by a post-release supervision period back in society. It will also be used on offenders who are serving their entire sentence in the community.

There are 100 sex offenders on post-release supervision orders, with another 23 being released this year. There are a further 124 sex offenders serving their sentence in communities.

“We have started to have staff trained. We have a small number so far, we will be building that up over the coming weeks and months. We will have an all-island approach to tracking and monitoring and supervising sex offenders. We will all be speaking the same language in terms of assessment,” he said.

He backed calls by the union representing probation officers, as reported yesterday in the Irish Examiner, for officers to be given power to return sex offenders who are not complying with supervision, orders back to court.

“It is a concern we have. Like with all offenders, there is a need to be able to enforce orders if they break down.” But sex offenders were “statistically compliant” with supervision orders and that the issue only arose for a small number, he said.

He also backed calls for a formal structure to be put in place regarding the sharing of information of sex offenders between the relevant state bodies.

He said sex offenders on supervision orders are closely monitored and the ultimate priority was public safety and preventing further victimisation.