Penal reform group calls for prison complaints report to be published

The Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) has called on Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald to publish the Inspector of Prisons’ review of the prison complaints procedure.

The penal reform group the Government’s commitment to ratify the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture (OP-CAT) and said this would require the current lack of a fully independent complaints mechanism for prisoners to be addressed.

Deirdre Malone, executive director of the Irish Penal Reform Trust, said: “Ireland received 37 recommendations from UN delegations on strengthening accountability, improving prison conditions, and ending detention of children in adult prisons. However, the Programme for Partnership Government is silent on all of these issues. A clear commitment from the Tánaiste to a timeline for implementation of the recommendations would build assurance that it will be achieved during this Government.

“In her previous role as Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, the Tánaiste made history by addressing critical human rights issues for children in the criminal justice system, including extending the remit of the Ombudsman for Children to include children in adult prison facilities. There is an opportunity now to build on this record of achievement by extending the highest standards of accountability to the adult prison system too.

“The continuing lack of an independent complaints system for prisoners is a glaring gap in Irish law that presents an obstacle to the Government’s repeated commitments to ratify the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention Against Torture (OP-CAT). While IPRT welcomed discussions this week around the potential extension of the general Ombudsman’s remit to include prisoner complaints, this would depend on adequate resources in terms of finance and expertise – including an understanding of the impact that being in prison has on a person’s ability to make a complaint.

“It is crucial that prison staff also have confidence in any external system of prisoner complaints. Robust and effective independent make prisons work better, and they make prisons safer. They should not be feared.”