The Prison Officers' Association (POA) has said the reports of prison visiting committees published in yesterday's Irish Times were an "accurate reflection" of current conditions in Irish prisons.
The reports detailed the effect of cutbacks across the prison system and revealed they have led to the closure of educational and rehabilitation facilities in institutions already overcrowded and rife with drug problems.
Stephen Delaney, assistant general secretary of the POA, said the reports clearly outlined the "unacceptable" conditions that prevailed in prisons such as Mountjoy and elsewhere. "It vindicates our position and calls into question the position of the prison service, which says that overcrowding is not an issue," he said.
"From a POA perspective, this is not an overtime issue . . . the debate is regarding conditions which prison officers are working in and inmates are living in." An Irish Prison Service spokesman said it could not comment "at this stage" on the reports, which are due to be published today. However, the Department of Justice said that while the reports had raised issues about the operation of some prisons, it had singled out others for praise.
Arbour Hill was described as a "model prison" in one of the reports. Other reports had stated that prisoners were in good health and had been very complimentary about a wide range of resources and services. A spokesman said it would be unfair to suggest that the prison system was in disarray.
Claire Hamilton, chairwoman of the Irish Penal Reform Trust, said any reduction in the cost of running prisons should not be achieved at the expense of prisoner rehabilitation. "There is a history of Government cutbacks at the expense of rehabilitation, to the extent that one could question the Government's commitment," she said.
Labour Party justice spokesman Brendan Howlin urged the Minister for Justice to publish the 4th annual report of the Inspector of Prisons, Dermot Kinlen.