Sir, – As the outgoing Inspector of Prisons, I would like to set the record straight in relation to prison inspections in Ireland as reported in an Irish Times opinion article (Ian O'Donnell, "Ireland's prisons urgently need external scrutiny", Opinion & Analysis, February 7th) and editorial this week ("The Irish Times view on Irish prisons: an alarming gap in accountability", February 7th).
I welcome the opening of the conversation regarding the oversight of prisons in Ireland, and the opportunity to update on the continuing development of the Office of Inspector of Prisons.
All of us in society faced huge challenges throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and had to undertake new ways of working.
My original plan for 2021 was to carry out three general prison inspections. However, I considered it essential that all 12 prisons in Ireland be inspected to see how the prison community was coping with restrictions and lockdown. This is contrary to The Irish times editorial which stated: “ . . . prison inspection and monitoring appears to have been paused during the crisis. Unlike many other countries, which managed to maintain some form of external oversight, not a single inspection or monitoring report was published during the pandemic.”
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The reality is that Ireland was one of the few countries in Europe conducting on-site prison oversight activities in the initial stages of the pandemic in 2020. This included an inspection of Mountjoy Women’s Prison, followed up by the distribution of diaries to inmates offering them the opportunity to share their experience cocooning in Irish prisons during the first lockdown. In May 2020, my office was invited to share our experience with carrying out visits during Covid-19 with the Council of Europe Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT). In 2021 all other prisons were inspected.
While the pandemic provided the underlying theme for these inspections, this appears to have been understood by some commentators as solely an assessment of the prevention and management of Covid-19 in prisons. However, the 12 published Covid-19 Thematic Inspection Reports adopted the same methodology as that of general inspections. All prisons were subjected to inspection by teams of between two and four inspectors for safety and security; respect and dignity; health and wellbeing; rehabilitation and development and resettlement. All the inspection reports were submitted to the Minister for Justice and eight have been published to date. They not only gave an insight into life in prison, but also provided an overview of applicable human rights standards and Prison Rules 2007-2020. A total of 242 recommendations were made to the Irish Prison Service, and 15 recommendations were made on systemic issues that arose as a result of the inspections.
On-site visits were complemented by a prison staff survey conducted in May 2021, and ongoing communications with prison governors.
In the aftermath of on-site inspections, my office engaged with the Irish Prison Service regarding the finalisation of inspection reports.
My office has since commenced follow-up inspections to assess progress made and will continue to monitor recommendations. Issues raised in these reports in August and December 2021, including the use of solitary confinement as a Covid-19 prevention measure, were highlighted in The Irish Times.
Building on the work of my predecessor, Judge Michael Reilly, I set out to ensure that the Office of Inspector of Prisons was given the resources needed to do our work on my appointment in May 2018.
In addition, I developed a strategy for 2020-2023, created and implemented a transparent framework for the inspection of prisons in Ireland, and further developed policy and procedures for the completion and submission of inspection reports.
Despite a range of challenges, I am happy that these objectives have been achieved. As I approach retirement, I welcome this conversation on prison oversight, and fully endorse the need to be transparent and to report on the challenges and human rights breaches in our prisons.
The Office of the Inspector of Prisons provides the independent lens for society to peer into and behind the prison walls, and its work must be embraced and welcomed. I am hopeful that the Minister for Justice will strive to enhance the statutory powers of the Office of Inspector of Prisons, and I hope the work I and my team have achieved in the last four years will be further enhanced. – Yours, etc,
PATRICIA GILHEANEY,
Inspector of Prisons ,
(Chief Inspector),
Office of the Inspector
of Prisons,
Nenagh,
Co Tipperary.