Penal reform group voices concern over solitary confinement at Mountjoy

The Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) has voiced concern about the extent to which solitary confinement is being used to deal with drugs-related violence at Mountjoy Prison.

Reports from each of the 14 visiting committees for Irish prisons, covering the year 2016, were published yesterday.

The IPRT said the reports show that solitary confinement and extended periods of isolation were being used to manage the problem of drugs-related violence across the Irish Prison Service.

However, it voiced particular concern over Mountjoy Prison, where at times one in four prisoners are “on protection” in this way.

Deirdre Malone, IPRT executive director, said: “Using isolation as a tool for the management of prison violence creates new problems for prisoners. Prolonged isolation prevents prisoners from accessing education, training and out of cell time and this, in turn, can have serious impacts on mental health.

“While there is a prison policy in place to eliminate the use of solitary confinement since July 2017, more concerted effort to address the core issue of drug-related violence must be taken across government departments.”

Ms Malone added: “The Irish Prison Service should also further develop a range of initiatives to address violence in prisons. These may include, but should not be limited to, restorative justice approaches and weapons amnesties.

“Where a prisoner requests to be kept on protection for an extended period, this should be kept under constant review.”

As specific measures, the IPRT has suggested:

The IPRT has also called for prison visiting committee reports to be published more quickly in the future. Ms Malone said the reports for 2017 should be published “by early 2018, and not in 2019”.