Prison staff turn blind eye to gang activities

Prison officers and their families suffer “severe” consequences if they do not conform to unprofessional behaviour of colleagues, including actions that display a hatred towards women and people in general.

And a lack of proper management in jails has allowed gang culture to develop, resulting in them wielding “significant power” over other prisoners, with some staff “turning a blind eye”.

In a hard-hitting special report on prison culture, the inspector of prisons found staff are under “incessant pressure” to conform to behaviour which is “at best unprofessional and at worst misogynistic and even misanthropic”.

This behaviour includes:

• Inappropriate behaviour, with staff in a number of prisons drinking at lunchtime and returning to duty without any rebuke from senior staff;
• Staff using “improper and inappropriate language” to each other and prisoners.

The report said: “The demands to conform in a uniform manner whatever the circumstances are overpowering, with severe personal repercussions not only against the individual concerned but also against his or her family for those who step out of line either by refusing to take part in inappropriate behaviour or by drawing it to the attention of superiors.”

The report authors — inspector Judge Michael Reilly and UK expert Andrew Coyle — said that what was “particularly disturbing” was the apparent unwillingness or inability of staff to raise the issue.

The report said that “anyone who was seen to break ranks was liable to be ostracised”.

It added: “In extreme instances, this could extend to harassment of family members outside prison.”

The report also said the lack of meaningful assessment of prisoners had “allowed the development of gang cultures” in a number of prisons.

It said gang affiliations can be based around a group of strong prisoners from a certain area or around the supply of drugs. It said this presents “a major threat to good order” in a number of prisons.

The report said: “Gangs are a feature of prison life in many countries but prisons in Ireland do not have a clear operational strategy for dealing with them.

“Prisoners who refuse to concede to the demand of gang leaders are put under pressure and may be subject to physical violence.

“Some individual staff members appear to be at a loss as to how to manage the problems of disorder which result and prefer to turn a blind eye to gang activities, with the victims of violence being transferred to other prisons rather than perpetrators.”

At the report launch, Judge Reilly said it was the “culture” and “closed mindset” in prisons that prompted him to conduct this special report.

He pointed out that he received the support of Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald and the full co-operation of Irish Prison Service director general Michael Donnellan.

He called for a formal code of ethics which would ensure “basic human rights principles” are implemented on a day-to-day basis.

The report said there needed to be a “sound recruitment policy” to ensure only those with the “correct personality, experience, and potential” are selected.

These staff should undergo comprehensive education and training — similar to a two-year course in Norway — and receive support and mentoring.

Ms Fitzgerald said that she would be examining the report. She said she was concerned at the findings about gang culture and had asked the director general for a report on it.