The Irish Penal Reform Trust is calling for an independent inquiry into the problems besetting Mountjoy Prison in Dublin.

MORE THAN 600 prisoners end up in padded cells each year in this country, it was claimed yesterday.

FERGUS FINLAY’S excellent column (Irish Examiner, July 4) exposing the bloated and unaccountable costs of Michael McDowell’s super-prison plan has provoked some interesting responses from officialdom.

A smoking ban in prisons will create a new black market for tobacco among inmates and compound problems of bullying, violence, smuggling and corruption, it was claimed today.

JUSTICE Minister Micheal McDowell’s plan to encourage prisoners to undergo voluntary drug tests is a publicity stunt which won’t address drug use in prisons, penal reform experts said yesterday.

The Government’s plan to encourage prisoners to undergo voluntary dope tests is a publicity stunt which won’t address drug use in prisons, it was claimed today.

The Irish Penal Reform Trust has welcomed the Government's decision to allow prisoners the right to vote, as it will bring Ireland in line with other countries.

MANDATORY drug tests, closed visits for addicts and dog units will be introduced as Justice Minister Michael McDowell yesterday vowed to eliminate the supply of narcotics into the State’s prisons.

Prison reformers tonight accused Justice Minister Michael McDowell of pursuing ignorant anti-drugs policies after he revealed plans for a zero tolerance crackdown on jailed addicts.

The Irish Penal Reform Trust has called for urgent changes to Irish electoral law to allow prisoners to vote in all future elections.

Cormac O’Keeffe

The Government’s approach to the prison system is misguided and uninformed, it was claimed today.

The Irish Penal Reform Trust has called on the Government to rule out the privatisation of any prisons in Ireland.

Cormac O'Keeffe

JUSTICE Minister Michael McDowell was yesterday accused of “censoring” the Inspector of Prisons under new plans.

YOUR editorial (Irish Examiner, May 6) states that privatisation of the prison escort service “purely for cost-cutting purposes is something that warrants very serious consideration.”

The Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) has called on the Government to reconsider its plans to introduce electronic tagging of certain offenders.

IN August 2004, the Irish Penal Reform Trust characterised Justice Minister Michael McDowell’s plans to build new super-prisons in Dublin and Cork as the minister’s own personal Bertie Bowl.

The Irish Penal Reform Trust has criticised Justice Minister Michael McDowell's plans to introduce an electronic tagging system for certain offenders as an alternative to custodial sentences.

The Irish Penal Reform Trust has criticised Justice Minister Michael McDowell's plans to introduce mandatory drug testing in all Irish prisons.

JUSTICE Minister Michael McDowell claims his plan for mandatory drug testing of prisoners will end heroin use in Irish prisons (Irish Examiner, December 31).

The Irish Penal Reform Trust has claimed that Justice Minister Michael McDowell will fail in his plan to make all Irish prisons completely drug-free.

Plans for a new prison on the outskirts of Dublin to replace Mountjoy jail are motivated by money and not the welfare of prisoners, it was claimed today.

The Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) has criticised the Government’s plans to build a new “super-prison” to replace Mountjoy Jail in Dublin, describing them as “ill-conceived”.

PENAL reformers yesterday told UN drug chiefs that clean needles should be made available in prisons to cut the spread of infectious diseases, such as hepatitis and HIV.

IRELAND will have the fourth highest prison population in the EU, if Justice Minister Michael McDowell proceeds with his plan to increase places by a third.

The Irish Penal Reform Trust has criticised Justice Minister Michael McDowell’s plans to expand the capacity of Irish prisons and introduce mandatory minimum sentencing for firearms offences.

The Irish Penal Reform Trust has called on the Prison Service to supply clean syringes to prisoners who use drugs intravenously.

The Irish Penal Reform Trust has criticised Justice Minister Michael McDowell’s plans to privatise two prisons.

HIV infection rates among Irish prisoners are 10 times higher than the general population, a prison reform group said yesterday.

JUSTICE Minister Michael McDowell last night dramatically ratcheted up the bitter confrontation with prison officers regarding overtime pay.

The Minster for Justice, Michael McDowell, wants to close Spike Island, in Cork, and the Curragh, in Co Kildare.

JUSTICE Minister Michael McDowell is considering privatising prisoner escorts against the advice of his own expert committee.

PLANS to close the State’s two remaining open prisons were criticised yesterday.

PENAL reformers, criminologists and academics will this week call on Justice Minister Michael McDowell not to privatise prisons.

INFECTION levels of HIV and Hepatitis C have reached epidemic proportions in prisons, according to a new report.