McDowell hits back at ‘total failure’ claims

JUSTICE Minister Michael McDowell last night hit back at trenchant criticism of the prison system by outspoken Inspector of Prisons Dermot Kinlen, who had described the system as a “total failure”.

The inspector also said five prison officers were under suspicion of smuggling drugs into prisons.

Mr McDowell, however, hit back saying that Mr Justice Kinlen had told him, in conversation, that he [the minister] had not treated him well, as an inspector, “and that, like a dog that had been mistreated, he [Mr Kinlen] would turn on me and he was about to turn on me. So I feel his remarks today are a little bit unbalanced”.

The retired High Court judge, who was attending the Prison Officers’ Association (POA) conference, in Killarney, also said Mr McDowell was too conservative and that the prison service was bureaucratic.

This claim was rebutted by Mr McDowell who, while conceding there were major problems with the service, said he was tackling them.

He also said the charge he was conservative did not stand up to scrutiny.

“The prison officers overtime issue, of which he was very supportive of me, has now been resolved,” Mr McDowell went on.

“He himself called for the demolition of Mountjoy. I’m doing that against considerable opposition in the city of Dublin and county of Dublin.”

The minister said he valued Mr Justice Kinlen’s work, but felt the public would not go along with his suggestion that prisoners should be allowed out to work and earn salaries for their families.

Neither did Mr McDowell believe the public wanted conjugal rights for prisoners. — as was suggested by Mr Justice Kinlen, and, as the latter noted, was the case in other countries such as Spain.

“I believe conjugal rights will be granted to prisoners in Ireland, in the future, but this will not happen any time soon,” he remarked.

Conditions in Cork Prison, said Mr Kinlen, were appalling, with four to six prisoners sharing one cell in some cases.

He also recalled visiting Mountjoy, in Dublin, unannounced at 10.30 one night and of finding prisoners sleeping in their own urine.

He noted that 18 training and educational programmes for young offenders in one prison, St Patrick’s Institution, had been closed down and now there was none.

Also, Mr Justice Kinlen claimed a consultant should look at the cost of a “huge raft” of bureaucrats in the system.

Meanwhile, the POA has called for the replacement of high-tech locking equipment in prisons with the common key system.

Prison plans: investment in new facilities as units closed by inspector to reopen

* Fort Mitchell, Cork — New prison to be built at a cost of €70 million on Spike Island, which will hold 450 inmates. It will have separate male and female sections and a unit for juvenile offenders.

* Cork Prison — The prison, which was described as a “disgrace” by the Inspector of Prisons, Dermot Kinlen, is to be replaced.

* Thorton Hall — Proposed prison in north Dublin, to accommodate 1,100 prisoners, will replace the Mountjoy Complex. €30m spent last year on Thorton site.

* Mountjoy — More floors of the A division to reopen, despite being condemned by the inspector, to tackle overcrowding.

* Wheatfield, Dublin — An additional 150-bed wing to open.

* Shelton Abbey, Wicklow — Accommodation to expand and facilities to improve.

* Loughan House, Cavan — Expansion of accommodation begun.

* Curragh, Kildare — To remain closed.

* Midlands, Laois — Isolation unit to open.

* Portlaoise — E wing, considered sub-standard, to be used on temporary basis to deal with overcrowding. €20m earmarked to replace the entire wing.

* Limerick — €6m is currently being spent at the city’s prison on new education and medical facilities.

* Castlerea, Roscommon — No information.

* Cloverhill, Dublin — No information.

* Arbour Hill, Dublin — No information.