Prison officer suspended over misogyny allegations
The allegations, made by both female and male staff at Midlands Prison, are under investigation.
A prison officer has been suspended following multiple allegations of misogyny and bullying at the Midlands Prison.
The prison officer was “marched to the gate” when they attended work on Saturday, a source said.
The allegations, made by both female and male prison staff, are under investigation.
The officer’s manner of suspension is "very unusual", a source said. The officer's absence will impact staffing at the prison, with another two officers in the prison due to retire in the coming days.
Overcrowding is an ongoing concern, with 918 prisoners in custody on Monday in the 875-capacity premises, operating at 105% of bed capacity.
Midlands Prison received significantly more serious complaints than any other prison in the Inspector of Prisons report for 2022, published on Friday.
A total of 70 serious allegations — which can include assault, racial abuse and discrimination — were made in 2022.
Of those, 24 were related to the Midlands Prison.
Prisoners also sent significantly more letters to the Inspector of Prisons from that prison than any other with 70 of the 142 letters sent from the Midlands.
The Midlands also had the highest recorded number of deaths in custody, with four reports of a death in custody filed out of a total of 17 nationally.
There were 23 deaths in custody in 2022 across all prisons — a 188% rise from eight the previous year.
The Irish Prison Service said it does not comment on matters relating to individual staff members.
“The Irish Prison Service sets high standards in respect of its staff and requires that all staff carry out their duties with integrity, commitment and professionalism at all times," a statement said.
“Where a complaint is received about the behaviour of a staff member, this is treated with the utmost seriousness by the Irish Prison Service and investigated in a manner that is fair and protects the rights of all parties involved.”
It is understood that the allegations were raised by staff with management which escalated them to Human Resources.
It is not known when the investigation, involving the Civil Service Disciplinary Code, will conclude but whatever decision it makes can be appealed.
