Attacks on prison staff cost State €26m since 2008, review finds

Prisons should consider reducing the number of court and hospital visits for inmates in order to curb a rise in violence against staff, a new report has suggested.

About 95 prison staff were assaulted by inmates each year between 2011 and 2015 according to a review carried out by the State Claims Agency, which represents around 3 per cent of the prison workforce nationwide.

Attacks on prison staff have cost the State about €26 million in injury payouts and sick pay since 2008, and the review says the number of violent incidents appears to be edging upwards in recent years, although the evidence is not conclusive.

The study was initiated following a number of high-profile assaults on prison officers in 2015, and among a series of recommendations is that video-links and on-site medical facilities should be provided in order to reduce the number of court and hospital escorts involving inmates.

Inmates sometimes use sanctioned transfers outside their detention facility as an opportunity to escape, as happened with convicted armed robber Derek Brockwell who stabbed two prison officers during a visit to Tallaght hospital in February 2015. He was later recaptured and returned to prison.

Batons

In a related point, the State Claims Agency says existing rules should be changed so that prison officers can carry batons as standard when carrying out transfers.

However, the report adds that carrying batons should not become the norm for staff who are on premises within detention facilities, and body armour should not be worn on prison landings, but the use of armour could be subject to a needs analysis for other activities.

Prison authorities should also consider allowing staff to use pepper spray, also known as incapacitant spray, according to the recommendations.

Aside from physical interventions, the review adds that the Irish Prison Service should “refocus” its emphasis on conflict resolution techniques in order to de-escalate situations before they turn violent, and there should be an improved, standardised method of risk assessment for inmates.

In addition, it says disciplinary procedures should be more transparent, and prisoners with serious mental health issues should be facilitated to receive care in more appropriate settings.

State Claims Agency director Ciarán Breen hailed the review as a “crucial step in reducing assaults on prison staff and in reducing the significant costs to the taxpayer of these assaults.”

It will be analysed by the prison service and the Department of Justice and they will assess what action should be taken on foot of the recommendations.