Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 478: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if the recommendations of the recent UK House of Commons justice committee inspector for prisons report assessing the performance of prisons regarding smaller prison populations, based in the community, have been considered in the development of Thornton Hall. [15801/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I am advised by the Director General of the Irish Prison Service that the conceptual, study and design stages of the Thornton Hall project involved an extensive process of consultation as well as consideration of prison developments in other jurisdictions. This included the various reports of the Inspector of Prisons and Places of Detention in Ireland and those of the Inspector of Prisons for England and Wales and other relevant reports.

It should be noted that Lord Carter in his December 2007 report 'Securing the Future: Proposals for the Efficient and Sustainable use of Custody in England and Wales' recommended that the way forward is the large prison complex and his recommendation is for a model broadly similar to that envisaged in the design of Thornton Hall.

The Thornton Hall prison development will not operate as a single large prison, but rather a campus development containing eight individual, practically self-contained facilities, each with its own unique and discrete regime which will give access to work training, education, rehabilitative programmes and recreation activities appropriate to that population. The main accommodation units in the Thornton Hall Prison development will encompass a range of accommodation styles and designs. The main accommodation blocks will contain 192 cells over four wings with two landings per wing. This range of accommodation style and design will allow for appropriate separation of prisoners in smaller units.