An incarcerated criminal has told an Oireachtas committee that prisoners need "a decent second chance", something many of them are not getting.
Warren Graham was addressing the Joint Committee on Justice from Loughan House, an open, low-security detention centre in Co Cavan.
He has spent "over a third" of his life in prisons, which he said are filled "with too many people like me" - those who are from marginalised backgrounds.
"Without the correct supports, anything the prison can do is wasted upon release", Mr Graham warned, adding that many struggle with the stigma of being a former prisoner.
He appealed "for a decent second chance" for prisoners, and further chances for those who might "have a slip".
Committee Chair, Fianna Fáil TD James Lawless, said Mr Graham's testimony was historic, given it was delivered from inside a prison.
The committee is exploring the rehabilitation opportunities available to offenders.
Mr Graham said that after taking up guitar and home economics in prison, he started on a path which led to the Open University, and the completion of a degree after 11 years behind bars.
Eddie Mullins is the Governor of Mountjoy Prison, the fifth prison he has been in charge of in his career.
He told Independent Senator Lynn Ruane that "prison is only a portion of the rehabilitation process. The majority of it should happen in the community".
"Prisoners have many complex needs", he said, adding that meeting those needs allows offenders to re-enter society, where they can then make a contribution.
More than half of those in prison left school before they celebrated their fifteenth birthday, Mr Mullins revealed, while 70% are unemployed.
Criminals are just waiting for prisoners who are re-entering society, knowing that they have no supports and "nowhere to go", Mr Mullins warned.
He said that "drug-related intimidation" is a serious problem for those leaving prison, and called for a "significant expansion of addiction services" to protect the gains which prisoners have made during their incarceration.
The committee also heard that the prison service has funding for 12,000 escorted court visits.
However, there were over 30,000 such visits in 2018, which is a drain on resources, Karen McCaffrey, Director General of the Irish Prison Service (IPS), said.
That year there were around 3,500 remote appearances, a figure which rose to 20,000 by 2021, and so progress is being made, she said, as remote appearances are safer and less demanding on resources.
Ms McCaffrey believes that prisons "should be seen as institutions of opportunity and not places of punishment".
And she told the committee that many offenders have their "first meaningful encounter" with education after they have been jailed.
Sarahjane McCreery, Senior Research and Policy Officer with the Irish Penal Reform Trust, noted that four times as many people in prison have severe mental health issues compared to the general population.
She noted the prison population increased from 2017 to 2020, adding that while the pandemic led to a limited reduction, it also worsened prison conditions.
Ethel Gavin is a former Governor of Midlands Prison who retired two years ago after 30 years of service.
She pointed to a report last October which found that many prison officials see work and training for prisoners as secondary, with workshops "routinely closed".
In 2020, almost 6% of the IPS budget - roughly €24 million - was spent on work and training, and that money "is clearly not delivering", she added.
The committee also heard that the IPS has the equivalent of roughly 200 full-time teachers.
