Written answers

Thursday, 13 May 2010

Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform

Prison Accommodation

5:00 pm

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 81: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on the concerns raised by the retiring Governor of the Dóchas centre, Dublin, particularly about the level of overcrowding in the centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19587/10]

Photo of Dermot AhernDermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Dóchas Centre, which accommodates the majority of female prisoners in Ireland, was purpose built and specifically designed for women and is recognised internationally as a model of best practice with extensive rehabilitative programmes and courses available for the female prisoners accommodated there. However, since the facility was opened it regularly accommodates prisoner numbers in excess of its design capacity. Accordingly, the Irish Prison Service introduced contingency measures including the installation of bunk beds - to alleviate the practice of women sleeping on mattresses on floors and in store rooms and offices. These contingency measures were discussed with the Governor at the time.

In the medium term and in order to introduce an alternative measure until Dóchas is replaced by a new prison on the Thornton campus, work is due to commence to convert an administrative building on the Dóchas site into a new accommodation block. This will provide 30 room with sufficient area to double up if required and is due to be completed by August/ September, 2010.

In the long term the Dóchas Centre is to be replaced by a new women's prison at the prison development at Thornton Hall, Co Dublin. This will provide accommodation for approximately 200 women. The design will be based on the concept of single room occupancy, will allow for the separation of sentenced and non-sentenced offenders and will afford a greater opportunity of enhanced regimes thus allowing for greater flexibility.

There are no plans to move away from the basic architectural design principles of the Dóchas Centre. The design of the women's prison at Thornton seeks to build on the experience and lessons of the Dóchas model, whilst expanding the regime options and fostering the ethos of Dóchas i.e. a domestic scale courtyard development consisting of a number of house units of single occupancy en-suite accommodation. Each house will also have domestic style cooking and laundry facilities etc.

It has to be acknowledged that the Irish Prison Service must accept all prisoners committed by the Courts and does not have the option of refusing committals. Their options are simple, they hold them or release them. I believe that the public interest must be protected from the inappropriate release of offenders who may pose a risk to the community. A snapshot on 26 April 2010 of female prisoners serving sentences indicated that:

25% of that cohort of female sentenced prisoners were serving a sentence for murder, manslaughter or conspiracy to murder;

21% were serving sentences for possession of drugs for the purpose of sale or supply; and

28% were serving sentences for offences such as robbery, theft and criminal damage. Of this 28% only 4 prisoners were serving sentences of less than 12 months.

It is clear that the vast majority of these prisoners do not fall into the category of non-violent lesser offences. Options available in this area are therefore very limited. It is clearly preferable where possible to have prisoners accommodated in a bed in a cell as opposed to sleeping on mattresses and it was therefore prudent and appropriate that a number of bunkbeds were recently installed in the Dóchas Centre to replace single beds.

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