Madam, - This association has serious reservations about the closure of Mountjoy Prison and its move to a greenfield site in Thorntown, Co Dublin.
Mountjoy has been a part of the inner-city community since 1850. It has been accessible for family and friends of those incarcerated within the walls. This relocation goes against international research which has shown that the maintenance of family relationships is one of the main factors in preventing re-offending behaviour among prisoners. A move to an inaccessible location will make it more difficult for loved ones to keep in touch with inmates. This warehousing of prisoners marks a new low in the adoption of the Anglo-American model of imprisonment.
The closure will also lead to the closure of schools in Mountjoy Prison, the Dóchas Centre (women's prison), the Training Unit and St Patrick's Institution. This means an uncertain future for over 50 teachers. Neither the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform nor the Department of Education and Science consulted the educational staff about the closure. They neglected to consider the interests of the teaching staff and especially what is needed to meet the educational welfare of our students.
In the interests of both teachers and students, we ask that the relevant authorities begin the long overdue process of consulting all the stakeholders in the penal system about the proposed move. The location of the prison should not be decided in the interests of property speculators but in the best interests of the prisoners, their families and society. - Yours, etc.,
CORMAC BEHAN, Chairperson, Irish Prison Education Association, Mountjoy Prison, Dublin 7.