Reform plan for prisons being finalised

A root and branch 5-10 year reform package for the prison service is being finalised by the Department of Justice and is expected to be brought before Government in coming weeks.

It has also emerged that plans to privatise prison escorts are progressing following the publication at the beginning of January of an advertisement looking for expressions of interest.

The advertisement has attracted approaches to the Department of Justice from a number of international firms. It is understood they have taken the form of informal telephone contact. Further information is expected to be forwarded to the companies before formal tenders are submitted.

The 5-10 year plan for the prison service will include a proposal for the demolition and relocation of Mountjoy prison, Dublin, as well as major refurbishment work at other facilities around the country. It is expected that Cork Prison will to be earmarked for urgent attention.

Spare capacity has been maintained at the Midlands Prison, Portlaoise, in the event prisoners are transferred from jails undergoing refurbishment in the future.

The Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, wants cost-cutting technology currently in use in the Midlands Prison and Cloverhill Prison, Dublin, to be used at other facilities.

This would include the installation of CCTV systems and electronic gates within prison compounds, which would free up manpower and save millions in overtime and special allowances.

Plans to convert Loughan House, Cavan, and Shelton Abbey, Wicklow - both low security facilities - into half-way houses for prisoners who have just completed their sentences are expected to be in the plan.

Mr McDowell is hoping to bring his proposals before Cabinet as early as next week. However, his plans are dependent on cost-savings being made on prison officer overtime, which means he may be forced to delay presenting them to Government.

The officers have rejected a €10,300 salary raise in exchange for working up to 360 hours overtime per year, which would cut by half the €65 million prisons overtime bill. The officers fear being called in to work overtime at short notice, resulting in an "unacceptable" infringement on their free time.

Talks have broken down and neither side is hopeful that the impasse will be broken in the short term.

The operation of both Loughan House and Shelton Abbey will be placed outside the remit of the prison service as part of the Minister's cost-cutting contingency plan in the absence of agreement on overtime.

The Minister has said the prison service would begin running the facilities once the overtime issue is resolved.