Prison dispute - Mend ties to make strides on plans

It is easy to sympathise with the frustration and exasperation expressed by prison officers at the latest solutions proffered by Minister for Justice Michael McDowell to cure some of the ills affecting the service.

At the annual conference of the Prison Officers Association (POA) yesterday, he said he intends to introduce mandatory drug testing of inmates, electronic tagging and a system of restorative justice as alternatives to jail.

In the same breath he announced plans to increase the number of prison places by 800 to a total of 4,000, and alluded to the fact that two prisons, closed because of an overtime dispute, could be reopened soon.