The Minister for Justice and Equality, Alan Shatter TD, today visited Mountjoy Prison to inspect the recently refurbished C Division which is due to re-open this month.
The Minister said that the refurbished accommodation will provide radically improved physical conditions for prisoners. The Minister acknowledged that the refurbishment project which was very complex in terms of planning and execution given that involved the decanting of the entire prison wing, was completed to a very high standard and he complemented all involved in the project for their efforts.
Speaking during his visit to Mountjoy, Minister Shatter said “This project commenced with the reconstruction of the C Base to provide a 28-cell dedicated committal/assessment area for new prisoners and this has seen the implementation of the recommendation made by the Inspector of Prisons, Judge Michael Reilly, in his Report on Mountjoy Prison in 2009”.
The new C Division will also include a new dedicated Drug Free Area on the C3 landing which has been introduced as part of the enhancement of drug treatment services in all closed prisons. “This Programme will support any prisoner who is drug free, has illicit drug free status and/or is stable on methadone and the Prison Service intends that by the end of 2012 all closed prisons will operate dedicated Drug Free Areas” added the Minister.
The refurbishment project has seen the introduction of in-cell sanitation in all cells on the C Division. The Minister announced that a similar refurbishment project will commence on the B Division. “I am delighted to announce, today, that a similar renovation of the B Division will commence within the next few weeks which, when completed, will see in-cell sanitation installed in all cells on the B Wing. This will result in 317 cells here in Mountjoy prison having in-cell sanitation, almost 60% of the total prison, by the end of this year” said the Minister.
The developments in Mountjoy and the implementation of the proposals for Cork prison, which were announced recently by the Minister, are the realisation of the Government’s commitment to the elimination of slopping out in prisons as set out in the Government Programme for National Recovery.
While visiting Mountjoy the Minister also took the opportunity to acknowledge the staff involved in the development and operation of the High Support Unit in Mountjoy Prison and the Irish Red Cross Community Volunteer Project, both winners of World Health Organisation (WHO) Health in Prison Best Practise Awards.
The HSU, which opened in December 2010, is a collaborative project between the Irish Prison Service and the Central Mental Hospital. The 10-bed Unit provides expert, supportive, short term input for prisoners who are in an acutely disturbed phase of a mental illness or require increased observation.
The Red Cross Community Volunteer Project is a partnership between the Irish Prison Service, the Irish Red Cross and City of Dublin VEC and is a unique approach to raising community health and hygiene awareness and first aid in prisons by peer to peer education. The project is the first of its kind worldwide, in a prison setting.
Speaking about the awards the Minister said “I am proud, as Minister, to witness that an international judging panel has determined that two innovative prisons based healthcare initiatives should be awarded WHO Awards. It bares testament to the commitment and innovation of all prison based staff who have contributed to the successful implementation of these initiatives”.