Prison Visiting Committees: Motion
Dr. Henry: I have visited prisons on many occasions. I first visited one approximately 20 years ago. One of Nuala Fennell's first visits as Minister of State with responsibility for women's affairs was to the women's prison at Mountjoy Prison. She was shocked by the conditions, especially the lack of medical care. She asked me to visit the prison with her to see what could be done about getting a woman doctor, a general practitioner who lived locally, to attend.
When I visited the prison I had never seen anything like it. It was like something out of a Dickens novel. There was a huge laundry where the girls congregated. The rattling and screaming were appalling. The first thing one notices on visiting the prison today is the lack of screaming. It is extraordinary how an improvement in the condition of inmates, in prison for similar type of crime, encourages them to behave in a different way. That taught me a huge lesson. If people are placed in conditions where they are more likely to be, and feel they are, treated better, their behaviour will greatly improve, both when in prison and, we hope, when they leave.
There is a need to consider the regrettably high rate of recidivism which I am sure the Government wants to reduce. In view of this I regret the amendment. We need to see how we can improve conditions in prisons, which regrettably now hold more than before. Very few members of the public get a chance to enter prisons unless they are visitors or work in them. In view of this we must rely on prison visiting committees to conduct matters on behalf of the public.
I am intrigued by how few politicians have visited prisons. The authorities are not reluctant to accept visitors, on the contrary. They are anxious to show the facilities and explain what is happening. I am also surprised at the small proportion of those in the legal profession, including judges, who have visited prisons. This has improved. I recently attended a lecture in the Law Society and was pleased to discover that it organises tours for student to visit prisons.
Our prisons have improved. While I would not wish to visit the prisons at Wheatfield or Clover Hill for a short holiday, improved facilities allow for a much more productive environment for prisoners and staff. I, therefore, applaud the efforts being made in this regard.
Every year Mountjoy Prison produces a play. Last year it produced "The Field" and this year it is producing "Moll". They are first class productions. Tickets should be booked in early April and I encourage Ministers and Senators to attend. It is well worthwhile because it enables visitors to get a feel for what is happening in the prison and what can be done for the inmates. When the production of plays first started, it was difficult to get anybody to audition for the parts and actors had to be employed. Today, there is a great demand to get a part. At the end of the play enthusiasm sags because there has been such enthusiasm about being involved in the production, including the staging, costumes and lighting.
Prison visiting committees were established under old legislation. One of their purposes is to hear the complaints of prisoners. Their annual reports must also offer policy suggestions to management, in this case the Government. The reports are not automatically published and in some instances it is difficult to access them. For many years I pressed for the early release of the reports of the inspector of mental hospitals and eventually they were published reasonably quickly. Visiting committee reports should likewise be published and made accessible as soon as possible.
Usually, a prison officer acts as secretary to the prison visiting committee and he or she sometimes writes the report. This is unsatisfactory. Traditionally, the officer is present when prisoners are interviewed, which is also unsatisfactory. It means that the prison authority and the committee are working together and prisoners feel they cannot make proper complaints. Mountjoy Prison has managed to stop this procedure but I am not sure about the position in other prisons. It should be easy to discourage this undesirable practice. Prisoners do not want the authorities to know about their complaints.
In recent years it appears to have become almost impossible to be appointed to a prison visiting committee unless one has a close political association with the party or parties in government. This is regrettable. It is also ridiculous and expensive to have members of committees travelling all over the country. While prisoners and committee members sometimes express concern that committees may be too closely associated with prisons in their area, it should be possible for them to visit prisons in adjacent or nearby areas, for example, visiting committees from Limerick should visit Cork and so on. The current system of visitation is very expensive and unproductive. While those with political affiliations should not be ruled out for membership of committees, many view committee members as supporters of the Minister. That is a mistake because it makes the Minister vulnerable to accusations of undue influence. It would be better if Ministers accepted criticism.
Membership of prison visiting committees should not be confined to those with a university education. The most practical appointments could be former prisoners as they could give an idea of the best way for a committee to proceed. Perhaps consideration should be given to this, especially the appointment of former prisoners who have done well after their release.
Visiting committee members should also receive training. Senator Terry pointed out the various areas they are supposed to investigate. In the United Kingdom, prison visiting committees do get training. The attitude here is not professional and the committees do not have a proper understanding of what they are supposed to be doing.
Prison visiting committee members should have a fixed term. Some people have been on committees for 20 years or more which is not a good idea and some are on two committees or more. It is hard to meet people who will criticise the system but it is worthwhile doing so. About ten years ago the visiting committee in Mountjoy Prison gave out hell about members of my profession and the medical treatment of prisoners. Treatment was transformed as a result. Criticism does work. It is depressing to hear from prisoners that they have little faith in the visiting committee and that they would prefer to complain to the chaplain.
The prison Bill is expected some time but we have the Criminal Insanity Bill and Members may have noticed the great excitement with which it was greeted. We should have the prison Bill here as soon as possible. It would be worthwhile discussing it because it has been a long time since it was reviewed as Senators Terry and Hayes have said. Prison visiting committees can be useful but we need reformation of the system.
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