Portlaoise: A prison apart in the system again courts controversy

Gardaí and the Health and Safety Authority are investigating an incident at the jail

Freddie Thompson complained that three prison officers on the A block of Portlaoise prison were constantly undermining three senior officers and their work.

The investigations into an incident in Portlaoise Prison by both the gardaí and the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) draw attention once more to issues at the facility. 

Portlaoise has been at the centre of some major controversies, going back to when it housed subversives. Those days are long gone, but the prison remains something apart within the system.