Over half of inmates ‘on prescription medication’
The claim came from the Inspector of Prisons, Judge Michael Reilly.
He said conditions in certain parts of the jail – including the use of cardboard chamber pots by inmates in shared cells – “could not be condoned in any civilised society”.
Prison sources have informed the Irish Examiner that these conditions no longer exist, mainly due to the creation of 100 extra spaces in a new block, opened last month.
The inspector said he was told use of prescription medication was a serious problem, “particularly addiction to sleeping tablets”.
“The management of Castlerea Prison conducted a survey of 230 prisoners and found that 57% of those surveyed were on prescribed high dependency, mind-altering drugs.”
Judge Reilly said he was informed that prisoners are on prescribed sleeping tablets before they come into the prison, either from other prisons or the community.
The medical unit said it was policy not to prescribe sleeping tablets unless exceptional circumstances justified it.
Judge Reilly said he disagreed with the prison management’s view that illegal drugs were not a serious problem.
“I was informed by prisoners and others that illicit drugs are available in the prison. It was their opinion that two-thirds of the population of Castlerea Prison have addiction problems – being addicted to drugs, alcohol or both.”
He said that during his inspections of Loughan House in 2008, 178 (43%) of the 417 prisoners transferred from Castlerea tested positive for drugs.
Judge Reilly said he found three prisoners in the recreation room of the Special Care Unit, sleeping on mattresses, with no pillows.
“There was no in-cell sanitation. They relied on three cardboard chamber pots. The room was dirty and dark. They had no washing facilities. These prisoners had one hour exercise a day.
“The detention circumstances that I found them in could not be condoned in any civilised society.”
Prison sources said these conditions no longer apply. Last month, 100 new spaces were created in the prison with the completion of a new accommodation block.
The inspector criticised the mixing of prisoners on remand awaiting trial with sentenced inmates.
He said that in a six month period to August 2008, three prisoners were on disciplinary reports following assaults on staff and 43 prisoners on disciplinary reports following assaults on other inmates.
The inspector said there were “many positives” about Castlerea Prison such as the “excellent work being done in the workshops, the waste management area, the recreational and educational facilities and the general care taken by officers of the prisoners”.
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