WOMEN prisoners in Mountjoy Prison live in "inhumane" conditions and are subjected to unsolicited lesbian activity, bullying and intimidation, a probation officer has told the IMPACT conference in Galway. But some inmates reject the offer of release because "prison serves as a refuge from the perils of the street".
The conference passed an emergency motion yesterday calling on the Minister for Justice to acknowledge the scale of the problem at Mountjoy, implement short-term measures to alleviate it and address prisoners' long-term needs. Mrs Owen was also asked to set up an inter-departmental task-force to address the needs of female prisoners and provide alternative community-based facilities for offenders.
Ms Carmel Donnolly of the union's Civil Service division said 60 women were imprisoned in Mountjoy when she visited on March 10th. Since then the numbers had fluctuated between 50 and 60, although maximum cell space held 40.
"Attempts to resolve this crises to date have focused on acquiring sufficient mattress space to accommodate every woman at night, in totally inappropriate areas such as the oratory, the library, the recreation halls and padded cells
"Besides being inhumane, over-crowding women in close confinement increases the risks of unsolicited lesbian activity, bullying, drug-related intimidation and theft of personal property."
The situation magnified the risk of "interpersonal violence, riots, fire-setting and hostage-taking in prison.
Mrs Owen had recently given the go-ahead for a women's prison which would hold 60. But unless "appropriate sentencing and appropriate facilities for female prisoners is addressed, the present accommodation crisis is set to re-emerge".
It was generally acknowledged that prison should only be used as a last resort for offenders who posed a serious threat to people, or cases of major property crime. "Step inside Mountjoy and you'll largely be confronted by shoplifters, debtors and fraudsters. One woman received a six-month prison sentence for having stolen a pound of rashers."
A more careful application of custody could reduce overcrowding, she added, and leave more resource, to deal with inmates.