Prison officers to vent frustration at conference

FRUSTRATED prison officers will today raise the ongoing concerns about overcrowding, violent inmates and the scourge of drugs in Irish jails at their annual conference.

President Gabriel Keaveney, of the Prison Officers Association, will tell delegates that one wing in Castlerea prison, outside Roscommon, is holding nearly double the capacity of inmates.

The unit has a capacity for 35 prisoners but is currently catering for 60 inmates, according to prison guards.

Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell will address delegates at the conference in Sligo this morning.

The worrying use of drugs by inmates behind bars will also be discussed for motion. Prison officers want the full roll out of sniffer dogs for use in jails.

POA deputy general secretary Eugene Dennehy, meanwhile, said prison officers were being assaulted for taking mobile phones off inmates.

“Prison officers are fighting on a daily basis taking mobile phones out of the prison service,” he said.

In a recent incident two prison officers were seriously assaulted, he added.

“There was a situation in Mountjoy Jail where mobile phones were removed during searches. Later that day two prison officers, who were looking after a huge number of prisoners, were set upon. There was a major disturbance and they were attacked and assaulted.”

Responding to comments from Tánaiste and Justice Minister Michael McDowell, that he couldn’t rule out the possibility of complicity by prison staff in mobile phone smuggling, Mr Dennehy said any such suggestion was “disingenuous”.