Reports on temporary release prisoner deaths paint sad picture

Cormac O’Keeffe says the cases highlighted show vulnerable people let down by the system.

A series of reports put up on the Department of Justice website last week dropped under the radar. They will most likely receive little attention, let alone any debate or hand-wringing.

The reports into the deaths of prisoners on temporary release paint a sad picture of damaged and troubled people let down by the system.

In the short, but informative, reports, Inspector of Prisons Judge Michael Reilly has done the individuals, and their grieving families, some service.

In two of the four reports he compiled, the judge raised concerns as to how the deaths occurred and the actions of prison authorities.

Prisoner A

The 27-year-old man was tragically killed in a motor accident on January 27, 2013, less than three weeks after he was granted temporary release from the Midlands Prison.

Judge Reilly said the man had a significant history of psychiatric illness, well known to outside agencies and the prison authorities. He also had significant drug and alcohol problems.

He said the man was committed to prison in November 2010 and that between then and November 2012 was regularly assessed and cared for by psychiatrists.

At times he didn’t take his medication and Judge Reilly said he “needed and benefited from” the intervention of psychiatric staff.

In November 2012 he applied for temporary release (TR) and was assessed, during which he appeared “calm, relaxed and mentally stable”.

The application was refused on the basis that probation staff weren’t available over Christmas, but would be early in the New Year.

On January 7 a new application for TR went in, backed by prison bosses and approved by the Irish Prison Service. He was granted TR the following day.

Judge Reilly said that “no formal arrangements for the supervision of the deceased in the community” were put in place when he was released, even though the man was a “vulnerable prisoner”. He said this was known to both prison and probation authorities, who also knew he needed supervision.

He said it wasn’t until January 24 that a community mental health nurse ascertained for himself that this man had been released.

The nurse wrote to a doctor, who had previously treated the man before being jailed, that he had been “released unexpectedly”.

Just three days later the man died, “tragically killed in a motor accident”, involving a single vehicle.

Judge Reilly said it appeared the nurse had not been notified of the man’s release.

In his recommendations, the inspector said prisoners should not be released without an “adequate assessment” and that any assessment must have regard to their vulnerability.

He added: “In an obvious case, where supervision in the community is required a prisoner should never be released on temporary release until the prison authorities and relevant agencies are satisfied that appropriate arrangements are in place.”

Prisoner L

The 50-year-old man took his own life on October 29, 2012, only six days after he was given his third TR.

Judge Reilly said this man spent many terms in prison over his adult life, all of them related to his dependence on alcohol. He was first committed to prison in September 2012 and first given TR on September 21.

The inspector said he was put forward for TR because “the numbers in Mountjoy Prison on that day were very high” and because he fulfilled guidelines for release.

He was not linked to any agency on his release. Conditions of his release included being sober and signing on at Mountjoy Prison. He failed to sign on and was taken into custody on October 1, but released again.

He failed to sign on again on October 9. On October 22 he presented to prison in “an intoxicated state” and was readmitted to prison. A governor interviewed him the following day, but said he was not made aware by staff that he had been intoxicated the previous day. The governor renewed his TR that day.

On October 29 the man took his own life.

Judge Reilly said he found it difficult to contact the man’s next of kin as prison records were incorrect.

In his findings, the inspector said no assessments were carried out prior to the man’s release on the three separate occasions. He said the man was a vulnerable person with a considerable alcohol addiction.

“Despite his vulnerability the deceased was not linked in with any agency on his release.”

In addition, he said the man was released to an address that had not been available to him for around a year. He said that “no enquiries” were carried out by anyone in Mountjoy Prison to verify the address. He said the man was living rough during all three periods of TR.

Judge Reilly said the man had twice failed to sign on at Mountjoy Prison and on one occasion presented to prison intoxicated, contrary to his conditions.

In his recommendations, the inspector said prisoners should not be released until “an adequate assessment” of their needs was carried out. Vulnerable prisoners should be linked with relevant external agencies and reasonable efforts should be made to verify that the address the prisoner is being released to is actually available.