Young offenders’ move reassures ombudsman

The Children’s Ombudsman says she has received assurances that prison staff suspected of mistreating young offenders at St Patrick’s Institution will be left behind when St Patrick’s closes and its teenage inmates move to Wheatfield Prison.

Emily Logan spent three hours visiting Wheatfield yesterday along with prison governor Patrick Kavanagh and Irish Prison Service director Michael Donnellan following the announcement that St Patrick’s will shut by the end of the year.

Among the assurances she was given were that staff currently under investigation for allegations of mistreatment would not continue to be in charge of the young offenders when they transfer to Wheatfield.