Call to re-open Spike to ease prison overcrowding
Calls have been made to speed up plans for a new prison for Spike Island following a series of chronic overcrowding problems and a number of violent incidents in Cork and Dublin prisons in recent days.
The move is being made by the Prison Officers’ Association (POA) in response to two stabbings, one assault and a murder in two prisons in the past week.
On Sunday last, Thomas Kennedy from Cobh was assaulted in Cork Prison. On Tuesday morning, Gary Douch was killed in an assault in Mountjoy Prison. Yesterday’s lunchtime stabbing at Mountjoy was the second such incident in the prison in less than 24 hours.
The most recent incidents took place just as independent investigator Michael Mellett recommended that a prisoner who seeks special protection because of a threat should be put into a single cell for at least 24 hours.
Mr Mellett was appointed on Tuesday to examine the circumstances surrounding Gary Douch’s death.
But the Prison Officers’ Association said that Mr Mellett’s recommendation is unworkable, even though it is good in principle.
POA president Gabriel Keaveny said there were 261 prisoners in Cork Prison yesterday morning. The prison was originally designed to facilitate 150 prisoners.
“How can you isolate prisoners in Cork Prison, where you have 150 cells with 261 prisoners?” asked Mr Keaveny.
Last Friday, there were 277 prisoners in the building.
Mr Keaveny said the POA is writing to the Irish Prison Service in the coming days to highlight the need for the new super-prison planned for Spike Island.
The first stage of the development — a bridge linking the island to the mainland — is to go through the planning process later this year.
“We are writing to the prison service for clarification on when the new prison will be open. It may not be open for up to five years,” said Mr Keaveny.
He said that the existing prison building on Spike Island could be re-opened in the interim, to ease the overcrowding issue.
“Minister Michael McDowell has closed three prisons, including Spike Island, and he should be looking at re-opening these immediately,” he added.
Article courtesy of the Evening Echo newspaper.
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