OIREACHTAS COMMITEE:THE GOVERNMENT should publish a clear policy commitment to single occupancy prison cells and remove certain offenders such as fine defaulters from the prison system.
That is the opinion of the Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT), which yesterday published key recommendations on building new prisons - particularly in relation to the proposed new facility at Thornton Hall in north Co Dublin.
Addressing the Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Dr Ursula Kilkelly and Liam Herrick of IPRT called for urgent public consultation on "all aspects of the planning and design of Thornton Hall".
While any improvement in current prisoners conditions in Mountjoy would be welcome, there were grave concerns that the new facility would not conform to the Council of Europe Convention for the Prevention of Torture, and the European Prison Rules, said the IPRT.
The IPRT also said it was concerned at the scale of the facility.
Under the present plan the facility is designed to encompass the current women's prison at Mountjoy, the adjacent men's prison, the Central Mental Hospital and possibly detention centres for immigrants as well as juvenile offenders.
Dr Kilkelly said Ireland's human rights obligations required that children not be detained with adults, yet "it seems that contingency plans remain to transfer minors currently detained in St Patrick's Institution to Thornton Hall if suitable alternatives are not in place by 2012."
In relation to the use of the facility for immigrants, the IPRT said there were "reports of a large immigration detention facility at the site" which it said was in contravention to the widely held principle that immigrants should not be held with those convicted of a criminal offence.
The IPRT also described the proposed relocation of the Central Mental Hospital from Dundrum to the new facility as "completely unacceptable".
Dr Kilkelly said the trend in Europe was towards smaller regional prisons where it is easier to segregate different categories of prisoners and where there can be a rehabilitative atmosphere.
