Prison logjam brings system into disrepute

Monday, October 26, 2009

THE gardaí are overstretched fighting crime and bringing criminals before the courts.

The courts are jammed trying and sentencing criminals and taking them off the streets, but the prisons are refusing them entry and putting them back on the streets to reoffend. The gardaí are demoralised and the system of justice has been brought into disrepute. Criminals go free and victims are left without justice.

It is clear that most of the problems in the prisons are due to a lack of sufficient space. That has arisen for two reasons – a failure to provide the funds to proceed with a major prison construction programme and, in the meantime, a failure to modify the sentencing system which tends to exacerbate the accommodation problem at present.

Having watched the recent excellent RTÉ programme on Mountjoy jail and discussed some of its problems with prison staff, I can only marvel at what is clearly a heroic performance by the staff and support services operating there. In dealing with the prison problems we cannot get away from the question of drugs. There are problems with programmes providing substitutes. Some produce their own addiction problems and there is a reluctance to continue with an indefinite maintenance programme – although I am convinced that inmates who have already been on such a programme before arriving should be enabled to continue with the treatment.

A modern prison should be designed in such a way that from day one no drug-free prisoners should be housed or in contact with addicts, just as young first-time offenders should not be in contact with habitual criminals.

Greater emphasis should be placed on the fact that everyone has a responsibility to others. We are preoccupied with rights and are very lax in terms of spelling out obligations. Anyone who seeks to remove responsibility from criminals is encouraging them to continue in their evil ways.

Cllr Noel Collins
‘St Jude’s’
Midleton
Co Cork

This story appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Monday, October 26, 2009