The Governor of Mountjoy prison has criticised as "appalling" the performance of the State, employers and society in general in integrating prisoners back into society. Mr John Lonergan says not enough is being done to reassimilate prisoners who have served their sentences into society and the workplace, and a "major surgery in attitudes" is required.
"The State, employers and society have an appalling record in integrating inmates back into society and also an appalling record in employing such people," Mr Lonergan says in an interview which will appear in February's issue of Pioneer magazine.
He continues: "Society is no better in allowing people the opportunity to change and to offer second chances. A major surgery in attitudes is required."
Asked about drug-taking in Mountjoy, which has a constant population of about 700 prisoners, Mr Lonergan says almost 70 per cent of prisoners have a history of drug addiction and, by virtue of human ingenuity, drugs can be smuggled in.
"Drugs are difficult to detect because of their size," Mr Lonergan says. "Drugs can be concealed in so many ways, in all different parts of the body. It is an impossible situation and we have to get the balance right between security and internal body searches of every single visitor."
He says studies have shown that drug addiction in Mount joy's prison population has risen from virtually zero to 67 per cent over 20 years, a "quite remarkable statistic". He believes heroin addiction is directly linked to social deprivation and economic disadvantage.
Some 75 per cent of Mountjoy prisoners come from six small pockets in Dublin which were seriously deprived in physical structure, educational structure, social culture. "The reality is that every country imprisons its poor," Mr Lonergan continues.