Mountjoy prisoner petition protests conditions

PRISONERS in Mountjoy have signed a petition to complain about conditions in the jail which they hope to pass on to prison authorities.

It comes ahead of tomorrow’s meeting between the Prison Officers Association (POA) and management to discuss the overcrowding crisis in the jail, which currently has 40 more inmates than it is designed to hold.

One ex-prisoner has revealed the atmosphere is very tense, with many people terrified after three stabbing incidents, two assaults and a killing in the jail in the past week.

Joao Marques, who was released yesterday, said: “There are a lot of tensions among prisoners themselves. You basically have to keep to yourself and not engage in any arguments with anyone.”

Mr Marques had spent almost three weeks in Mountjoy for failing to provide a child support payment to his ex-wife.

A campaign group, Unmarried Fathers of Ireland, last night paid the bail to have him released. He will appeal the severity of his sentence.

Mr Marques claimed that last weekend, 14 people were put into a windowless cell that was just three metres wide.

When prisoners complained, a number of them were let up to sleep in the reception area but were not given a mattress.

The POA said strike action cannot be ruled out if the overcrowding problem is not resolved.

General secretary of the union John Clinton said: “While industrial action is not the best way to deal with the issue, I’m not saying it won’t happen further down the line. With industrial relations issues, you can’t rule anything in and you can’t rule anything out.”

On Sunday, there was another attack in the country’s prisons — this time in Cloverhill — where a man was stabbed a number of times in the face.

The prisoner was taken to Tallaght Hospital, where he received a number of stitches on the left side of his face.

Yesterday, an inmate was sent back to Mountjoy from the Mater Hospital, where he was being treated for injuries sustained after being hit over the head with a sock filled with batteries on Saturday morning.

Mr Clinton said they will be calling for the reopening of Spike Island and the Curragh prisons at tomorrow’s meeting.

“We advised the minister against the prison closures, but they still went ahead and now they are paying the price.

“Housing people on mattresses on floors is not the way to be running a prison in this day and age.”