Visiting Committee Annual Reports 2022

30th August 2024

Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) notes the publication by the Department of Justice of the 2022 Annual Reports from the Visiting Committees for each of Ireland’s prisons.

While overcrowding is noted as an issue in different ways across the reports (impact on accommodation, hygiene, access to services etc) it arose in the vast majority of Visiting Committee (VC) reports for 2022. It should be noted, however, that the overall prisoner population has increased even further since these reports were completed, and it is possible that many of the situations described in these reports have been exacerbated since the time of writing. For information on prison populations, visit the Irish Prison Service website.
 

Common issues echoed across various Visiting Committee Annual Reports for 2022 include: 

Overcrowding: This was among the most common issues raised across several VC reports. Concern was raised about serious overcrowding issues, including: four-man cell occupancy and prisoners sleeping on mattresses on the floor (Cloverhill); over 90 men doubling up in what were designed as single occupancy cells, lying on mattresses on the floor (Mountjoy); “rising numbers each month” with women sleeping on mattresses on floors (Dóchas); and “severe challenge for all operational staff” (Midlands).

Staff shortages and redeployment: Several reports raise concerns about staffing shortages, some of which specifically pinpoint gaps in service due to escort pressures. Concern was raised about: “a lot of issues” with prison officers being taken away from the workshops because of escort duties, meaning that some classes cannot happen (Castlerea); redeployment of staff impacting access to therapeutic services and facilities, including addiction services, psychology and the gym (Cloverhill); staff shortages contributing to “failure to provide education, rehabilitation and therapeutic intervention to many prisoners” (Mountjoy); a general lack of prison staff escorts (Limerick); and staffing shortages in specialised services, including Probation (Midlands).

Remand: Several reports raise concerns about the increasing number of people on remand and/or the absence of specific services for people on remand. Issues include: the “high and rising numbers of women being remanded”, with up to 40% of women in the Dóchas on remand on any given day (Dóchas); the need for strengthened resettlement efforts for remand prisoners (Cloverhill); and an increase in the population of remand prisoners causing doubling up in cells (Wheatfield).

Mental health services: Across the reports, as in previous years, the level of need for mental health supports remains apparent. The most common issues arising relate to long waiting lists for services, and the inappropriate nature of prison settings or people with high-level mental health needs.

The reports include: long waiting lists for psychiatric and psychological services (Limerick); “frustration and anxiety” expressed by men at the waiting lists (Cloverhill); issues with access to mental health services and the impact on prisoners, especially those with severe mental illness (Mountjoy); the challenges of imprisoning women with serious mental health issues who would be better served elsewhere (Dóchas) long waiting lists for psychology, with prisoners expressing frustration about waiting lists (Wheatfield); and the need for a dedicated psychology service to be introduced (Shelton Abbey).

Access to drugs: The availability and use of drugs arose as an area of concern for several VCs, with reports noting: entry of illegal drugs “contributing to significant risk to physical and mental health of prisoners and staff” (Mountjoy); the difficulties in maintaining a drug-free environment and the related security concerns (Midlands); the effects on prisoner behaviour and security (Portlaoise); availability of drugs impacting the overall safety and well-being of prisoners (Limerick); and a “steady supply of drugs over the perimeter” having a “significant effect on the order of life in the prison” (Cloverhill).

Family contact: The experiences of family contact and visits noted in the reports were mixed. Across the reports, some concern was raised by VCs and by people in custody about the continued phased return of in-person family visits during 2022, following the height of the pandemic. In addition, many reports expressed concern about: booking of visits and prison-to-prison video visits (Dóchas); the need for an enhanced visitor area with designated space for children (Shelton Abbey); significant difficulties for visiting family members including accessing visits, inadequate visiting slots and no after-school/evening visits (Mountjoy); and interactions in the process of search and screening, with a small number of prisoners mentioning inappropriate comments by staff to their visiting relative (Mountjoy). However, some reports noted positive elements relating to family contact, including welcoming the retention of the option for video calls (Castlerea) and the addition of in-cell telephony services (Midlands).

Finally, while acknowledging that these issues lie outside of the control of the Irish Prison Service, many of the reports pointed to gaps in services in the community, such as mental health services (Mountjoy, Dóchas) and housing (Dóchas, Cloverhill), leading to significant issues for those in the prison system.

Read the full set of Visiting Committee Annual Reports 2022 on the Department of Justice website.

Please note that the completion of these annual reports predates the publication of the Report on a review of Prison Visiting Committees in April 2023, following consultation during 2022. The review examined their existing functions, powers, appointment procedures, and reporting processes. The report on the review made 22 legislative recommendations and 27 non-legislative recommendations. Additionally, the Inspection of Places of Detention Bill is intended to provide a statutory basis for the outcome of the review and the role of Visiting Committees under the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT).