Cork Prison release process ‘hectic’ and ‘rushed’
Inmates in Cork Prison are being released onto the streets with their phones uncharged and carrying heavy, see-through plastic bags containing their belongings, a new report has found.
The report, published last week by the Office of the Inspection of Prisons (OIP), outlined a number of ways in which Cork Prison is falling short when it comes to inmate release and rehabilitation.
It found that the majority of released prisoners were required to travel to different areas of the city to attend appointments with release services. In one instance, a prisoner queried if he could leave his heavy plastic bag at the visiting centre for a short period while he attended the appointments. His request was denied by prison staff.
The report also found the release process to be “hectic” and “rushed” at Cork Prison and in need of urgent review to ensure prisoners were supported upon release.
Ireland’s Chief Inspector of Prisons said: “Prisoners were released from prison with their belongings in clear plastic bags and uncharged phones; while simple, these things negatively impacted on the aftermath of release and did not support prisoners to begin a re-integration process that could be daunting.”
The Chief Inspector made a number of recommendations to the Governor of Cork Prison to promote best release outcomes including the establishment of a private, calm, and secure area for pre-release discussions. He also recommended that prisoners’ phones should be charged immediately prior to release.
The review also found that, aside from essential work, there were not many opportunities for prisoners to engage in work training in the prison. Training was limited, and in most cases, was not sufficient to secure employment on release from prison. Some prisoners indicated they had hoped for more support while in prison to link with training or employment in the community upon their release.
Meanwhile, prisoners engaged in essential work were found to be inadequately compensated. The report noted that workshops were frequently closed, and staff trained to facilitate work training were often redeployed to posts that were not focused on prisoner rehabilitation.
The inspection also found that pre-release planning carried out by resettlement services in Cork was impacted by a lack of housing support in the community, resulting in a knock-on effect for prisoner eligibility with early release schemes.
Some prisoners could not access the Community Return Scheme in because they had no address in the community and were therefore ineligible for this scheme. Due to capacity issues and provision of community supervision by the Probation Service, prisoners deemed eligible for this scheme were not being released.