SHAMBOLIC STATE OF PRISONS EXPOSED AGAIN IN BIZZARE CASE OF MISTAKEN
IDENTITY
Friday, June 22, 2007
Labour Party Spokesperson on Justice, Brendan Howlin, has said the
shambolic state of the country’s prison system has been exposed yet
again after a prisoner serving a sentence for robbery and not due for
release until 2010 was freed from Mountjoy Prison yesterday in a bizarre
case of mistaken identity.
Deputy Howlin commented, “Over the last two months the chaotic state of
some of the country’s major prisons has been revealed. First we had
prisoners using mobile phones from their cells to call in to national
radio programmes then we had the searches at Portlaoise prison that
uncovered an immense and bizarre haul of contraband including drugs and
alcohol.
“This was subsequently followed by the escape of a Bolivian man serving
an eight year sentence for intent to supply cocaine whilst working on a
community project.
“Now in a major mix-up a man not due for release until 2010 was confused
with another prisoner of the same name who was due for release
yesterday. As a result the wrong man was freed, and now a convicted
robber is on the run when he should be serving his sentence in Mountjoy
Prison.
“While the immediate priority must be the apprehension and return to
prison of this man, we must also ask ourselves what this sad litany of
events says about the Irish prison service in general.
“Despite his tough-talking rhetoric, the former Minister for Justice,
Michael McDowell, failed to overcome the major shortcomings and failings
of our prison system.
“I am now calling to the new Minister, Brian Lenihan, to ask the
Inspector of Prisons to carry out a full investigation of procedures at
Mountjoy and all other major prisons to ensure that nothing like this
happens again.”
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