Minister Fitzgerald Publishes Prison Visiting Committee Reports for 2013

The Minister for Justice and Equality, Ms. Frances Fitzgerald T.D., today published the reports for 2013 of the Castlerea, Midlands, Mountjoy, Training Unit and Wheatfield Prison Visiting Committees.

The Committees play a vital role in ensuring the quality of accommodation, catering, medical, educational, welfare and recreational facilities reach and remain at acceptable levels. Each Visiting Committee visits the prison to which they are appointed and hears any complaints which may be made to them by the prisoners.
The Minister said “I welcome these positive reports and wish to thank the Visiting Committees for their work. The general praise for the training and educational programmes and services in the prisons is testament to the professional work carried out on a daily basis by staff of the Irish Prison Service.”

The Mountjoy Prison Visiting Committee acknowledges the significant improvements to the building structure of the prison which has resulted in reduced complaints and an improvement in prisoner morale. The improvements being realised in the modernisation of accommodation has facilitated a significant reduction in the number of people on lock-up for excessive periods. On the issue of the numbers on lock-up Minister Fitzgerald stated that “A high level group has been established by the Irish Prison Service to examine measures to reduce numbers on restrictive regimes with a view to ensuring that all receive a minimum standard of out of cell time of three hours per day to engage in exercise and activity. Since July 2013 a steady decrease in the number of prisoners on restrictive regimes is evident.”

Drugs and staff shortages are ongoing issues of concern. The Minister stated “The Irish Prison Service will continue to implement policies and procedures to reduce the availability and use of illicit drugs in the prison estate. Efforts are made on a continuous basis to prevent the flow of contraband into our prisons. Nevertheless the Irish Prison Service recognises that constant improvements are required in this area.

In relation to comments made on the negative impact of a shortfall in staffing numbers at library facilities, the Minister stated that “The Irish Prison Service is actively pursuing the option of having all libraries in prisons managed by long-term, suitably trained prisoners, with professional oversight in order to maximise the service. A contract librarian is currently training up prisoners in locations which are currently experiencing a deficit in library service provision. It is envisaged that a key goal of this service will be provision of library services to prisoners kept apart from the general population.”

Finally, the Training Unit Committee had some initial concerns regarding the introduction of Methadone but acknowledged that it is working successfully so far.

The Reports, along with previous Reports, are available on the Department’s website www.justice.ie