Ahern Publishes Mountjoy Prison Report

The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr. Dermot Ahern T.D., has published a report by the Inspector of Prisons on Mountjoy Prison. 

The report raises a number of serious issues relating to Mountjoy including overcrowding.

The Government has been aware of the limitations of the existing Mountjoy male prison for some time and it was for that reason they decided that it should be replaced by a completely new prison campus on a greenfield site at Thornton, North County Dublin. 

The Minister said that he is determined to push ahead with the Thornton project and is aiming to commence the construction of the perimeter wall towards the end of the year.

In the intervening period, it is necessary to maintain Mountjoy as a prison and the Minister notes that the Inspector of Prisons has made a number of recommendations to that end.

A major problem is the sheer volume of prisoners committed by the courts to Mountjoy and measures have already been taken by the Government to address that problem:

• Since 2000, remand prisoners have been diverted from Mountjoy to Cloverhill.
• Since 2006 sentenced prisoners committed by courts in Louth, Meath, Monaghan, Wexford and Wicklow have been diverted to Wheatfield Prison and sentenced prisoners committed by courts in Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Offaly and Westmeath have been diverted to the Midlands Prison.

Notwithstanding these measures, the prison population in Mountjoy exceeded 670 during July of this year. During August, it was possible to reduce the prison population in Mountjoy to less than 590. 

However, this was achievable in the main because the majority of courts were in recess.

In his Report, the Inspector of Prisons has recommended that overcrowding in Mountjoy be addressed by reducing the prison population to 540. 

In this regard, a number of measures are currently being taken to address prison overcrowding in Mountjoy specifically and across the prison system:

Creation Of Additional Prison Spaces 

100 new prison spaces have been recently opened in Castlerea Prison and further additional spaces will be opened in Portlaoise by the end of October and in Wheatfield by the end of 2009 adding an additional 400 prison spaces.

Imprisonment For Non Payment Of Fines 

The Fines Bill 2009 includes a number of non custodial measures to deal with non payment of fines and Mr Ahern has said that it is his intention to have the Fines Bill enacted as soon as possible. This will reduce the number of people committed to prison for non payment of fines.  

Further Change In Committal Status Of Mountjoy

To further reduce the volume of prisoners committed to Mountjoy, those sentenced prisoners committed by the District Courts sitting in Dun Laoghaire, Swords, Tallaght, Cloverhill and Blanchardstown will be committed to Wheatfield Prison.

A suitable order will be made by the Minister when the additional capacity becomes available in Wheatfield Prison later this year.

Re-opening The Separation Unit In Mountjoy Prison

In June, 2009, the Irish Prison Service tendered for the refurbishment of the Separation Unit in Mountjoy Prison with the intention of creating a specific unit within the prison for protection prisoners.

Work began in September 2009 and is due to be completed at the end of October 2009. This will provide an additional 30 cells (56 spaces) with in-cell sanitation and exercise yards.

The Director General of the Irish Prison Service has indicated that with these additional 56 spaces it is his intention, in so far as is practicable, to keep the prison population of Mountjoy under 600.

It is the intention of the Director General of the Irish Prison Service to use the re-commissioned Separation Unit to house protection prisoners thus enabling the provision of an enhanced regime giving greater out of cell time for such prisoners. 

The opening of this Unit will also allow for the introduction of a dedicated area for vulnerable prisoners. The feasibility of a dedicated committal area is also being examined.

The Director General has also instructed the Governor of Mountjoy to address all local management issues raised by the Inspector in his Report including matters relating to hygiene, cleanliness, accommodation of prisoners at night, implementation of Governors Orders, maximum operation of regimes activities, maintenance and the investigation of prisoners complaints.