4th January 2010
It has been a violent and difficult Christmas period within our prisons with serious incidents at Mountjoy and Castlerea Prisons that have left prisoners and staff injured, with one prisoner in a serious condition.
IPRT has been highlighting the rising levels of violence in our prisons over the past two years, and it is clear that this must be a key priority for everyone concerned about our prisons in 2010.
From a human rights perspective, the duty to provide safe custody carries real legal and moral obligations for prison management and Government. More must be done to protect the lives of prisoners and staff, and we firmly believe that there are many practical measures that can be taken immediately to ensure further tragedies do not occur.
In 2010, IPRT will play its role in tackling this issue – we will continue to raise awareness of the situation politically and through the media; we will support the work of international human rights bodies – both the Council of Europe and the UN will be examining the State’s actions in this area in 2010; and we will bring forward proposals for practical measures to protect prisoners based on the experience of other jurisdictions.
However, the safety of prisoners and staff will only be improved by concerted efforts from the authorities. One key step must be the setting of safe custody limits in the prisons by the Minister for Justice and associated changes to committal procedures to ensure that overcrowded prisons do not have to accept sentenced or remand prisoners from the courts.
"One key step must be the setting of safe custody limits in the prisons by the Minister for Justice..."
Other issues, such as the threat from organised crime factions operating within prisons, will require co-operation between the Garda and the Prison Service. We are not naive in thinking that tackling inter-prisoner violence will be straightforward, but we are committed to playing our part in making sure that this chronic problem remains at the top of the agenda, that it is addressed as a matter of urgency in 2010, and that staff and prisoners are given the highest possible level of protection.
Respect for rights in the penal system with prison as a last resort.