13th March 2019
MEDIA ADVISORY
Urgent action is now long overdue on chronic issues in Ireland’s two female prisons, which include overcrowding, staffing shortages, and increasing fears of homelessness on release. Efforts must be accelerated to provide community-based alternatives to prison for women who offend along with step-down accommodation for women on release from prison. To this end, IPRT calls for urgent Government action on recommendations of the joint Probation Service / Irish Prison Service Women’s Strategy 2014-2016 and the Strategic Review of Penal Policy Final Report (2014) and commitments included in the National Strategy for Women and Girls 2017-2020.
The Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) was responding to the 2017 annual reports of the Visiting Committees for the Dóchas Centre and Limerick Prison, published by the Department of Justice and Equality on 8th March 2019. The Visiting Committee reports detail various systemic and persistent issues, including “serious challenges” due to “over-stretched resources”.
Of particular concern to IPRT is the accommodation of mothers and babies on a general corridor of the Dóchas Centre. Responding today, Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) Acting Executive Director Fíona Ní Chinnéide stated:
“The removal of mothers and babies from the mother and baby unit, reportedly for disciplinary reasons, is of serious concern to IPRT. Non-custodial alternatives should be the preferred option for new or expectant mothers. In the small number of cases where a custodial sentence is the only appropriate response, access to a Mother and Baby Unit must be available. It is unacceptable that mothers and babies have been held in a general corridor with “ten to fifteen other women”. This practice is contrary to Rule 36.3 of the European Prison Rules. All questions of prisoner discipline should be dealt with without impacting on the best interests and welfare of the babies.”
Ms Ní Chinnéide continued:
“While we have seen numbers in custody exceeding maximum capacities across most of the closed prison estate, the sustained overcrowding in both of Ireland’s female prisons is of particular concern. At the time of reporting in 2017, the Visiting Committee noted that Limerick (female) Prison was 50% over capacity. These levels of overcrowding result in reduced quality of living conditions, as well as adverse effects on prisoners’ privacy. The situation is now at crisis levels, with Limerick (female) Prison operating at 96% over capacity yesterday (12th March 2019).”
Visiting Committees for both of Ireland’s female prisons have repeatedly called for access to step-down or supported accommodation for women. Supporting these calls, Ms Ní Chinnéide said:
“Despite repeated policy commitments by the Department of Justice and Equality, there have been delays in the establishment of a step-down facility or open provision for women, which would support their gradual release back into society. IPRT again calls for delivery on this commitment, which should be met with an accompanying reduction in the number of closed female prison spaces.”
The report for the Dóchas Centre details the concerns of the Visiting Committee about the current lack of a standardised complaints procedure and the “inordinate” amount of time taken to investigate other “fairly straight-forward complaints”. IPRT is further concerned at alleged inappropriate relationships between staff and prisoners as reported in the 2017 Annual Report of the Visiting Committee for the Dóchas Centre.
On the issues of prisoner complaints and staff conduct, Ms Ní Chinnéide said:
“In order to ensure that both prisoners and staff have confidence in the complaints system, IPRT has long advocated for the establishment of a prisoner ombudsman or access to the existing Office of the Ombudsman. In light of the significant issues raised in these reports, IPRT restates that the need for prisoner access to the Ombudsman to facilitate the appealing of complaints to an independent body is urgent.”
“While the majority of prison officers and other staff in the prison system undertake their duties in a professional manner, if any member of staff does not fulfil their role to the highest professional standards, there is a duty on the Irish Prison Service to investigate and to take action as appropriate.”
For media enquiries, contact: Fíona on 087-1812990
NOTES:
1. Visiting Committee Annual Reports 2017
http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/Prison_Visiting_Committee_Annual_Reports_2017
2. IPRT – Progress in the Penal System (‘PIPS’)
The ‘PIPS’ report provides a comprehensive overview of human rights and best practice in Ireland’s penal system. IPRT has developed 35 standards against which the prevailing situation in Ireland’s penal system is tracked, monitored and assessed on an annual basis.
Standard 24: Inspections and Monitoring
Standard 22: Complaints system
Standard 23: Independent complaints and appeal mechanism
2. European Prison Rules
Rule 36.3 of the European Prison Rules states that special accommodation shall be set aside to protect the welfare of infants for whom it is in their best interests to remain in prison with a parent. https://rm.coe.int/european-prison-rules-978-92-871-5982-3/16806ab9ae
3. Daily Prison Population Numbers
Respect for rights in the penal system with prison as a last resort.