Concerns about overcrowding, staffing and TB in prisons

Overcrowding, staffing levels and the presence of tuberculosis (TB) are among concerns raised by visiting committees to three prisons in 2012, according to reports published by the Minister for Justice today.

Cloverhill Prison in west Dublin, with a capacity of 431 held “over 500 inmates at times during the year”, one visiting committee reported.

“This has lead to inmates sleeping on floors and pressure put on the services provided by the staff of the prison,” it said.

The incarceration of immigrants due for deportation at the prison put added pressure on accommodation, the committee found.

At Dochas, the women’s prison in the grounds of Mountjoy in central Dublin designed to accommodate 85 women, “the average number of women on any given day was between 120 and 130”, its visiting committee said. It also said using the prison’s health centre to house women without medical needs was “unacceptable”.

The visiting committee at Castlerea, a 351-capacity prison for men in Co Roscommon, said it was “very concerned” that staffing levels there were “seven short”.

The Cloverhill committee also said it had “a major concern all year” about TB at the prison.

“We have had concerns regarding the treatment of both staff and prisoners during the year and the strain placed on families in regard to the spread of TB in the prison,” the committee’s report said.

It also noted containment and prevention had improved during the year. It said it hoped the policy of vaccination and a “pro-active regime” would continue.

Minister for Justice Alan Shatter acknowledged the concerns of the Cloverhill and Dochas Centre committees around overcrowding and staffing levels.

“The current policy is to reduce the number of sentenced prisoners in Cloverhill, which will further reduce the pressure on spaces in the prison,” he said.

“The opening of new accommodation last December has provided the Dochas Centre with an extra 20 spaces in a semi-independent living environment and has increased the capacity from 85 to 105.”

In relation to TB at Cloverhill, the minister said he was advised by the Irish Prison Service that "the treatment and contact tracing of TB infection continues to be managed by public health Health Service Executive in line with evidence based national guidelines".

“ Close contact has been maintained with Public Health HSE and the Health Protection Surveillance Centre regarding the incidence of TB in prison settings and particular initiatives have been taken to ensure that the vigilance normally exercised by healthcare staff is maintained,” he said.