Prison life can be a tough and brutal regime .. and no way to treat

THIS week a shocking report on the treatment of prisoners with a mental illness was issued. The report was carried out by the Irish Penal Reform Trust. It demands an urgent response from the Government.

In the main our prisons are filled with young men from working class communities. Middle class people who commit crimes rarely face a lengthy prison sentence. White collar criminals don't tend to see the inside of Mountjoy either.

In fact many never see the inside of a court room. Our system is biased. We lock up poor people, while those with money can often find a way out.

A large number of prisoners in Ireland have a mental illness. Before being sentenced they have led chaotic lives, often without the security and support that many of us take for granted.

When in prison these people will receive little or no treatment. Many are destined to spend time locked up in padded cells.

They leave prison in a worse state than when they went in. With non-existent treatment and little preparation for life on the outside it is likely they will reoffend.

IT IS a vicious circle that creates a litany of wasted lives. More prisoners, more victims of crime. We have to shout stop.

Padded cells, and so-called strip cells, are used to contain prisoners with a mental illness. They have sealed windows and contain only a mattress and a blanket.

Prisoners are usually locked up for 23 hours a day. It is a tough and brutal regime. It is no way to treat someone who is mentally ill.

However, there are very few options available to prison staff. Prison staff are not trained to treat mentally ill inmates. Psychiatric services within prison are minimal.

Prison Governor and staff do the best they can but the resources just aren't available. Like elsewhere in society we try to sweep the reality of mental illness under the carpet.

It is a short-sighted and dangerous approach. They shocking levels of suicide in Irish prisons are proof of this.

It is time for change. One quarter of all prisoners in Mountjoy prison alone have either been in a psychiatric hospital or the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum.

Their illness is often one of the key factors which led to their conviction and imprisonment.

These people need and deserve treatment. It is time the Government faced up to this fact.

The Irish Penal Reform Trust has called on the Government to refurbish 40 rooms in the Central Mental Hospital.

Incredibly, despite the crisis in our prisons, these rooms has been closed for nearly 20 years. They should be opened to treat seriously ill prisoners.

In addition, we need to set up psychiatric clinics in all our prisons. Trained professional staff can make all the difference. Regular treatment and preparation for life on the outside are vital, especially for prisoners with a mental illness.

Much more needs to be done. However, if these two steps were taken then we could phase out the use of padded cells and strip cells.

This, together with a full treatment programme for drug users in prison, could give people the chance to recover and begin again.

We could finally break the cycle of poverty and crime that makes so many prisoners re-offend.

The opportunity is there. The only thing missing is the political will. The Minister for Justice greeted the Irish Penal Reform Trust report with a stoney silence.

However, he knows that staff in every prison Ireland want reform.

They know the damage the current neglect and underfunding is causing. It's time the Minister for Justice, John O'Donoghue, woke up to reality.

For too long psychiatric illness in Ireland has been hidden away. Mental illness was something to be ashamed of.

NOW THAT is changing. People with a mental illness have human rights. They have the right to treatment and the right to dignity. These rights cannot be denied.

Outside prison our mental health services also need radical reform. A humane, community based approach to care and treatment is the way forward. The voices of people with a mental illness are now being heard through the work of organisations like Mind Matters.

Of all groups, prisoners with a mental illness are the most isolated, the most vulnerable.

The Irish Penal Reform Trust are to be congratulated for highlighting their plight.

Now it is time to take action. We all have an interest in the rehabilitation of prisoners.

Without rehabilitation the vicious cycle of crime and imprisonment will continue.

More people will become the victims of crime, with all the heartache that can bring.

After four years in office John O'Donoghue will have doubled the number of prison space but totally ignored the core issues relating to prison reform.

It's time for a fresh start and the Labour Party will fight to ensure progress is made.

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