The real cost of mothballed jails
Fort Mitchell and The Curragh were ‘mothballed’ by order of Justice Minister Michael McDowell with the sole intention of trying to browbeat prison officers into doing his bidding.
What your report failed to portray, however, is the human cost of this decision.’ Most staff at Fort Mitchel and the Curragh set up home in these localities.
Now they’re faced with greatly increased commuting times, with consequential impact on family life - not to mention the additional costs involved. And this from an employer who claims to operate ‘family-friendly’ policies.
There is also an impact on prisoners and their families. For young offenders in particular, being incarcerated (or transferred) far from home is an added burden, bearing in mind that many may not have been convicted by the courts.
As many inmates come from deprived backgrounds, the additional cost of maintaining family visits places an unbearable burden on those affected.
I wonder whether the next set of figures showing the cost of keeping prisoners in custody will include the cost of maintaining the minister’s ‘mothballed’ prisons?
Mr McDowell recently bemoaned his treatment at the hands of Roscommon county council. Minister, hundreds of prison officers and their families may feel that neither do they deserve to be treated as they have been by you.
Patrick Jordan
St Patrick’s Institution
North Circular Road
Dublin 7
