Bullets sent to officers in campaign of intimidation

PRISON OFFICERS have been sent bullets through the post in an ongoing campaign based on fear and intimidation, delegates at the annual conference of the Prison Officers' Association were told.

Association president Jim Mitchell said violence against prison officers was the "new norm" and they were expected just to get on with it.

Violent criminals expect to "undermine and dominate" the prison environment as they had done prior to their incarceration and nobody should expect a Damascene transformation in their behaviour once they go to prison, he explained.

Mr Mitchell called for the segregation of violent prisoners with dedicated facilities to ensure the operation of prisons rests solely with prison officers.

Mr Mitchell said prison officers were living under the constant threat of violent attacks, yet there was a failure of management to recognise this.

"This violence is a reality that all prison officers recognise and address as part of their working day but . . . one that is rarely appreciated," he said.

"There seems to be a deeply ingrained denial mentality on this most serious issue in some prisons," he said.

He cited the case of an officer in Cork who was asked if an injury he received had happened on duty even after his Governor had visited him in hospital.

"This lax, almost cavalier and quite ridiculous attitude can only serve to demotivate and disenchant a willing and dedicated workforce," he said.

The director of the Irish Prison Service Brian Purcell, who attended yesterday's conference, said he was hopeful that new security measures which are designed to stop smuggling into prisons will make security breaches more difficult.

"We hope they will go some way in addressing the problem. We have always said that working in the prison system is a challenging job. There are risks involved. When you are dealing with some of the people we have in our system, there is quite clearly a risk of intimidation and some would seek to intimidate staff, but everything possible is being done to address that," he said.

The Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan said the building of Thornton Hall and other facilities will change the physical environment of prisons as the traditional layouts of prisons contributed to the security problems for staff.

"These new facilities will make the securing of prison staff far easier," he said.