A GARDA investigation is under way into some 67 allegations of assault, bullying, intimidation and harassment made by inmates at Mountjoy Prison in Dublin against prison officers.
The Irish Times understands Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern and Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy have recently held talks on the case.
Sources said the allegations are being investigated by a six-man team at Mountjoy Garda station. The probe is being overseen by a detective sergeant and detective superintendent at Mountjoy and Store Street stations. A number of inmates and staff have been interviewed in recent months. There have been no arrests to date.
Gardaí were asked by secretary general of the Department of Justice Seán Aylward to go in to the jail and investigate the large number of allegations. The request arose after Mr Aylward met with the Inspector of Prisons, Judge Michael Reilly, in February.
Judge Reilly said many of the inmates’ allegations were not taken seriously, investigated fully or recorded properly by staff.
The existence of the Garda investigation into the 67 allegations has been outlined in the judge’s latest report on the prison.
Judge Reilly said that when he visited the prison on November 25th and 26th, 2008, he examined the prisoners’ complaints book and found “insufficient detail”.
The book is maintained by staff and outlines all complaints by prisoners, up to and including allegations of serious assault.
Judge Reilly said that between last November and February he received a number of allegations of “ill-treatment of prisoners by a minority of prison officers”.
When he again examined the complaints book, he noted 67 complaints between January 1st, 2008, and May 14th, 2009.
He wrote in his report, published yesterday: “Of these a significant number related to allegations of assault, bullying, intimidation or harassment by prison officers. The complaints book did not contain adequate information. In some cases, the names of the officers complained of were not recorded. The investigation of many of the complaints did not appear to have been finalised.”
