Damning report condemns conditions in State prisons

Conditions in three of the State's largest prisons have been described as "appalling" by the Inspector of Prisons.

In his first annual report Mr Justice Dermot Kinlen said the conditions faced by prisoners and staff in Mountjoy, Portlaoise and a small part of Limerick Prison were "unacceptable".

Mr Kinlen described the sanitary facilities as appalling and the level of drug addiction in the prisons as "frightening".

In one of the most damning assessments of the Irish prison service, Mr Kinlen's reports recommends these "old prisons" be knocked down and rebuilt.

The report contains detailed assessments of the State's four main prisons - Cloverhill, Limerick, Mountjoy and Portlaoise - carried out during 2002 and 2003.

Mr Kinlen was deeply critical of the Department of Justice which he says has a "mindset of power and control".

The Department, he said, has gone deeper into a bunker since the Freedom of Information Act.

"If at all possible put nothing in writing is a the mantra pursued by the Department, he said.

Mr Kinlen described the Judiciary as having a complete lack of interest in prisons or in the alternatives.

Justice Kinlen was also critical of the decision to close Shanganagh Castle, which was the only open detention centre for young offenders in the State.

He described the move as a "retrograde step".

"I was informed that the reason for its closure was that economically it could not be justified with the amount of offenders being held there".

"This was the only open centre available to the young offenders and by its closure the offenders have no goals for which to achieve," he said.