Low level intimidation of prisoners by some prison officers, overcrowding, filthy cells and broken windows are among the most serious problems in Limerick Prison, according to the Inspector of Prisons, Judge Michael Reilly.
His latest report was published today by the Department of Justice.
Minister for Justice, Alan Shatter, said he was “disappointed and indeed shocked” that deficiencies previously identified by the inspector were not addressed by prison management.
Director general of the Prison Service, Michael Donnellan, said an action plan had been put in place to rectify the issues raised.
Referring to the low level abuse and intimidation of prisoners by a small number of prison officers, Judge Reilly said this included reference to prisoners’ ethnic background, shouting, threats of transfer to other prisons, not respecting confidentiality issues and goading some prisoners.
He said this attitude was not confined to Limerick prison and, while it may be difficult to identify the perpetrators, that should not be an excuse for not dealing with such undisciplined conduct.
He said that the physical condition of the prison could not be put down to its age. While Divisions A and B, containing 55 cells, dated back to 1821, the remainder, including 157 cells, a new school, medical centre, gym and recreation hall, were either of recent vintage of refurbished.
The older parts of the prison, A and B divisions, were physically in the worst condition, with no in-cell sanitation. Most areas in them were severely overcrowded, dirty and unhygienic. Windows in all the cells were broken, letting in the rain. Despite this the quality of the air was inadequate, as prisoners tried to block the windows in winter.
“This is exacerbated by the smell of sewage which permeates most cells,” he said. In some cells there were no individual slop-out pots and prisoners had to share pots. The situation was worsened for prisoners in B division who were effectively locked down for up to 23 hours a day. He acknowledged that these conditions were contributed to by the problem of gangs in the prison.
“A and B divisions are not, in their present state, fit for purpose,” he said. “The continued incarceration of prisoners in these divisions is inhuman and degrading.”
Among the actions he recommended be taken immediately were toilet patrols, escorting prisoners in cells with no sanitation to the toilet, the repair and cleaning of toilets and urinals, the cleaning and repair of equipment in A and B and the painting of cells.
He also recommended three separate dedicated areas, one for prisoners who are coming in to the prison, so that their medical and other needs could be identified in order to place them in the most appropriate area; a high support unit for vulnerable prisoners; and a drug-free support unit for those prisoners who wanted to come off or be free from drugs.
The lack of recreation areas in Divisions A and B and the lack of time most prisoners spent in yards and at recreation should be addresssed.
The re-opening of the workshops should be reviewed and the regimes and services generally improved. The Irish Prison Service should alleviate the over-crowding problem and the refurbishment or replacement of Divisions A and B should be examined, he said.
While Limerick Prison cannot, at present, be said to comply with best international practice and it was questionable whether it provided a safe environment for staff, he said that if his concerns were addressed it could continue to play an important role in the Irish prison system, he said.
The Irish Penal Reform Trust welcomed the speedy publication of his report, the Minister’s unequivocal acknowledgement of the problems and the fact that an action plan had been put in place to address them.