Report: Prison blighted by drugs and overcrowding

Severe overcrowding, drugs, and the lack of in-cell sanitation are major problems in Dublin’s Mountjoy Prison, a report revealed today.

The institution was slammed by a Visiting Committee (VC), which inspected the prison 12 times during 2006.

It found that, as highlighted in previous years, there continued to be no in-cell sanitation in the main prison.

Prisoners, staff and families were also being intimidated and threatened to smuggle drugs back into the prison, it said.

“During the year the prison was severely overcrowded with at one point in August there being 515 inmates, resulting in prisoners sleeping on mattresses on the floors of the cells,” the report said.

“The VC finds this to be unacceptable in 2006.”

Mountjoy Prison dates back to 1850 and has a design capacity of 547, with a bed capacity of 454 due to the closure of one of its wings.

With the largest methadone maintenance clinic in the country, it takes a number of inmates on treatment programmes from other institutions resulting in a concentration in Mountjoy.

The VC said that despite commitments by outgoing Justice Minister Michael McDowell to tackle the drug problem in Irish prisons, illegal substances were still getting in to its population.

“The trustees and non drug users are now under huge pressure to bring in drugs,” the committee found.

“They are intimidated/threatened personally or by phone. Their families are also threatened.

“Prisoners who are allowed out on temporary release also come under huge pressure to smuggle drugs back into the prison.

“It is the view of this committee that the only way to protect the innocent is to introduce screened visits as part of an overall drug policy. Limiting this to known users or mules will only serve to increase the pressure on the innocent inmates.”

The annual reports of the Prison Visiting Committees were published today after teams visited Mountjoy Prison, Arbour Hill Prison, and St Patrick’s Institution in Dublin, Limerick Prison, Loughan House, Cavan, and the Training Unit.

In Limerick Prison, substance abuse and the availability of drugs was also highlighted as a major concern by the committee, with calls were made for the government to explore locating sniffer dogs at the facility.

Meanwhile, the VC Arbour Hill Prison in Dublin raised serious grievances regarding the lack of psychological counselling for inmates all over the country.

It found that the prison runs a 12-month programme for eight sex offenders, but reported that sex offenders were being detained in practically every prison.

“There has been an increase in the number of psychologists attached to the Prison Service but there is no psychologist attached to Portlaoise, Castlerea, Loughan House or Shelton Abbey,” the report said.

“It is a matter of grave concern for the Inspector that there is only one sex offenders’ course available for all of the prisons and that is in Arbour Hill Prison. So if you want to do it and if you are considered suitable you will have to go there.

“There seems to be no problem in getting into Arbour Hill to do the course. However there are over 200 offenders throughout the system and there is literally nothing in the way of psychological assistance/programme for them in any other prison.”

Mr McDowell – who leaves his position next week after failing to secure enough votes in the general election to return to government – came under fire by the committee for failing to provide incentives for people to undergo courses.

“The minister and the chairman of the Parole Board announced that there would be incentives for people to undergo courses,” it said.

“This had been recommended by the Inspector and naturally he was pleased that, without attribution, it was being adopted.

“However, while it was a lovely photo opportunity it has not happened.

“There is absolutely no incentive for anyone to undergo a course. It is disgraceful in this day and age that these two smiling gentlemen have not carried through on this promise.

“In fairness, it is not within the remit of the parole board but it is entirely within the remit of the minister.”