Complaints system needed for prisoners, says inspector

Published: Sunday, October 23, 2011

A FAIR and transparent system for complaints within the prisons is necessary, according to the Inspector of Prisons.

Judge Michael Reilly told the annual joint Law Society/Human Rights Commission human rights conference at the weekend that he had been asked by the Minister for Justice to prepare a new complaints model and hoped to do so by the end of the year.

The theme of the conference was the United Nations' Universal Period Review of Ireland's human rights record, which took place earlier this month in Geneva.

The treatment of prisoners and the position of women were among the main topics to emerge at the review, where Ireland answered questions posed by other countries, prepared with the assistance of NGOs.

Judge Reilly stressed that prisoners retain all rights that are not lawfully taken away by the decision to send them to prison.

A penalty of "loss of privileges" exists in the disciplinary system, ranging from loss of contact with family to loss of recreation.

"These, I wish to point out in the strongest possible terms, are not privileges, but rights," he said. They could not be taken away without just cause and due process.

Click here to read full article and see the comments from Susan McKay, CEO of the NWCI.