System in drastic need of reform

Justice Minister Michael McDowell is still actively considering privatising the system of providing prisoner escorts, even though the Prison Service Staffing and Operations Review Team — appointed by the current minister’s predecessor, John O’Donoghue — has recommended against the move.

It advocated, instead, that a national escort body should be established.

The review team argued that it would not be right to privatise the service at this time, because it is not functioning efficiently. The report contends that the introduction of efficiencies would be more difficult if the service was privatised.