PACE Partnership
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The nature of the work that PACE undertakes is complex and to ensure that our clients have the best service possible PACE has operated a model of partnership practice and works with a wide range of agencies both statutory and voluntary across a range of sectors and not just the criminal justice sector.

..PACE has operated a model of partnership practice and works with a wide range of agencies...

:: L. Cuthbert (Director) ::

The model of practice focuses on the following areas:

  • Local links
  • National approach
  • Interagency work (community and voluntary sector)
  • Interagency work (statutory sector)

The result of this proactive approach has seen PACE develop a high profile and an effective reputation both locally and nationally as a lead agency in the provision of services to prisoners and ex-prisoners. The following are some of the agencies that we work with:

Statutory

  1. The Probation Service – (www.probation.ie) PACE has established a very positive and productive working relationship with the Probation Service as our primary funders and a source of referrals and support to the projects.
  2. FAS (www.fas.ie) – FAS is an essential partner in our Training for Employment Project.
  3. City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee – (www.cdvec.ie)
  4. Irish Prison Service – (www.irishprisons.ie)
  5. The Homeless Agency – www.homelessagency.ie
  6. Dublin City Council –www.dublincity.ie

Local Links / Interagency work

  • Local health projects
  • Local drug treatment projects
  • Local Probation Officers
  • Ballymun Local Drug Task Forces
  • North Inner City Drug task Force
  • Dublin East Drug Task Force
  • Prison Links
  • Job placements
  • Local Employment Services
  • Ballymun Jobs Centre
  • Northside Community Forum<
  • Northside Partnership- www.northsidepartnership.ie
  • Homeless Network
  • Progression Routes demonstration project

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National Approach

  • Educational Trust
    All-Ireland body co-chaired by PACE. The Educational Trust is a North/South charitable Trust which helps ex-offenders and ex-prisoners in Ireland to access education and training and is a funder of last resort. PACE was a founder member of the Trust, established in the north in 1995 and in the South in 1999. The Trustees now include representatives from ex-prisoner groups, statutory agencies, voluntary agencies, prison authorities and educational institutions, North and South. The Educational Trust is jointly chaired by PACE Director, Lisa Cuthbert and NIACRO Chief Executive Olwen Lyner. The original aim of the Trust was to support politically motivated prisoners to complete academic qualifications when they left prison. In recent years the focus of the Trust has extended to cover vocational training as well. The client group now includes all offenders and ex-prisoners and their families, and the coverage includes the whole of Ireland. The Educational Trust receives support from the Probation Service, FAS, the Department of Education and Science as well as from the Peace and Reconciliation process. The demand for funding from the Trust highlights the barriers for ex-prisoners as they attempt to move forward. The Educational Trust through the work of PACE, NIACRO and all the other agencies involved has provided an essential service by facilitating progression to employment and further training for ex-prisoners.

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  • Network for Ex-prisoner Voluntary Agencies (NEVA) (www.neva.ie)
    NEVA was established in 2002 as a result of PACE coming together with other voluntary agencies such as EXPAC and the Dillon's Cross project to provide support for agencies working in the community with prisoners and ex-prisoners across the country. As a founding member of NEVA, PACE has worked in partnership with other voluntary sector agencies to highlight the needs of prisoners and ex-prisoners and to explore ways of working more effectively with each other to meet those needs. The national perspective that NEVA offers is an essential one when looking at the level of services available both in urban and rural areas and aiming for a consistent level of service to be offered to all people leaving prison, no matter where they are returning to.
  • Co-ordinating Group on Offender Integration
    PACE is a member of this group that was established to over see the implementation of the recommendations of the 2002 NESF report on the Reintegration of Offenders.
  • EQUAL projects
    PACE is an active partner of two EQUAL Projects. One is focused on the needs of people coming out of prison and has a national perspective and the second has a local focus on youth justice.

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