‘Sub-standard’ cells to reopen to tackle crowding

JUSTICE Minister Michael McDowell yesterday said he was expanding capacity in a number of prisons to deal with overcrowding problems.

He said this included reopening sections of some prisons that were considered “sub-standard”.

He said efforts by him to restrict bail conditions and keep more people on remand in prison until their trials were heard would put extra pressure on prison capacity.

“A more restrictive bail regime will require more accommodation, that’s why we are commencing this year with an extra 150 places in Wheatfield Prison (Dublin), I am also expanding the capacity of Loughan House (Cavan) and Shelton Abbey (Wicklow), for lower risk offenders.”

The minister was responding to claims from the Prison Officers’ Association that overcrowding was again a problem and that the revolving door was “alive and well”.

Mr McDowell said the increased demands for space would not necessarily mean the return of the revolving door as there was unused capacity in the system.

“The A wing in Mountjoy — only one floor of that is being used because it was considered sub-standard in the past and the E wing in Portlaoise, which is considered sub-standard and is about to be replaced, can be used on a temporary basis to get us over this territory.”

He said the isolation unit in the Midlands Prison was also available.

The most recent report of the Irish Prison Service shows that prison capacity is running at 95%.

POA president Gabriel Keaveny strongly criticised the decision to reopen the A division in Mountjoy.

Last year, the Inspector of Prisons, Mr Justice Dermot Kinlen, described the base cells in the A division as “inhumane and degrading”.

Mr McDowell rejected criticisms from the POA for keeping both Fort Mitchell Prison on Spike Island in Cork and the Curragh in Co Kildare closed.

“Spike Island was costing a huge amount of money to operate,” Mr McDowell said. “For instance all supplies had to be brought out on a ferry and the cost was €750,000 per annum for the ferry alone.”

He said he was building a new prison facility on the island at a cost of around €70 million with separate facilities for males and females and a unit for juveniles. He said this would entail the construction of a bridge. The time frame for completion was three to four years, he said.

An estimated €30m is due to be spent this year on the prison building and equipment programme.