Call for prison violence to be tackled

VIOLENCE in Irish prisons is on the increase with growing numbers of prisoners seeking protection from fellow inmates, a report from an international human rights watchdog has found.

The report urges the Government to tackle what it calls the “growing phenomenon of inter-prisoner violence” and warns that several prisons are “unsafe” both for prisoners and staff.

It also questions the level of force used by both gardaí and prison officers against people in detention, and claims complaints are discouraged and allegations of ill-treatment are badly recorded and poorly investigated.