Fitzgerald satisfied ‘every effort’ made to keep jails safe

Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald has said she is satisfied every effort is being made to keep prisons as safe as possible. She was speaking after the fatal stabbing of a man in Cork Prison at the weekend.

Ms Fitzgerald said incidents such as the killing of Graham Johnson (41) were rare, and prison management were constantly endeavouring to prevent violence in Irish jails.

“There are problems of violence in prison by their very nature but these have to managed on an ongoing basis through the management by their prison officers,” she said.

“It’s challenging both nationally and internationally, but I am satisfied that every effort is being made to deal with violent behaviour, to manage it and to prevent it in the first place.”

Johnson from Bandon in West Cork was serving a five-year sentence for robbery and larceny when he was stabbed to death during a row in the prison kitchen on Saturday. He suffered a single stab wound to the chest.

Remote control

He was one of a number of prisoners working in the kitchen at the time. It’s understood a row broke out with another man over a remote control for the television. One of the men wanted to watch horse racing while the other wanted to see Steven Gerrard’s last game for

Liverpool

.

Both Johnson and the other man had been assessed as suitable for enhanced prisoner status which allows inmates to work in various areas of the prison such as the kitchen.

The Prison Service has said it will take whatever measures, if any, are deemed necessary following the completion of its own investigation into Johnson’s death.

Gardaí are continuing with their investigation and detectives are continuing to take witness statements from those present during the assault.