Prison Service celebrates new era with first foreign guard

IRELAND’S first foreign prison guard graduated yesterday as 65 new officers finished their training in Portlaoise.

The Nigerian man, in his 30s, was congratulated, along with other officers, by the Irish Prison Service’s director general Brian Purcell.

During a ceremony at the training service unit in Beladd House, Portlaoise, the country’s first foreign prison officer recruit was joined by his family for the presentation of his certificate of qualification.

The governor of the training unit, Joe McDermot, also attended the graduation ceremony.

The new recruits have just finished a nine-week induction course and over the coming weeks most will begin work placements in Mountjoy, Cloverhill and Wheatfield prisons.

Commenting on the graduation ceremony, the director general said it was the largest single class ever to graduate. He added that a further 85 recruits are due to graduate in early December.

The Prison Officers’ Association (POA) has welcomed the move to bring foreign guards into the service saying it is a “positive step in a multi-cultural society”.

The graduation ceremony comes as the prison service advertised this week for retired prison guards as well as former gardaí to fill vacancies. The temporary postings are designed to speed up the Department of Justice’s plan to roll out airport-like security measures at jails across the country. This includes increased screening of visitors as well as staff.

The initiative was launched to root out drug usage behind bars following garda raids in prisons earlier this year which uncovered dozens of mobile phones, illegal substances as well as two budgies hidden in jails.

There were 70 applications in July for former prison staff or gardaí to work in jails. Up to 30 people, including some former gardaí, were successfully chosen to help spearhead the new security regime.

Plans include the establishment of a drug detection canine unit, as well as a security screening unit, both tasked with preventing contraband entering prisons.

The canine drug unit for the state’s 14 prisons, including 135 officers and 32 dogs, was mooted by former Justice Minister Michael McDowell.

Drugs are often supplied to prisoners, by being lobbed over jail walls or passed through kissing.

Mountjoy Prison governor John Lonergan revealed substances were smuggled in babies’ nappies.

“We want to roll it out quicker. This is a short measure which will allow us to move ahead with the new screening,” said a prison service spokeswoman.