Making Hay. The Dept of Justice on Hols.

national | rights, freedoms and repression | opinion/analysis

Friday August 18, 2006 10:27

by Chris Murray - The Unmanageables

Independent and appointed committees report during the Recess.

This summer , the tribunals damning of Garda behaviour in Abbeylara,
In the Morris Tribunal and the annual scree of reports by government
appointed committees ensure that the old aversion to ensuring
humane treatment of prisoners, children in care and citizens in trauma
is part of this right-wing governments modus operandi.

The annual reportage of below-standard and inhumane treatment
of the vulnerable in our society is drained, leaked and given media
attention in the absence of the Dail and after the outrage: 'a storm in a tea-cup'
the well-furnished TD's can return to the hallowed halls of Kildare Street, assured
of it's vote majority .

This summer , the results of Morris on Gardai Misdemeanours to sections of the
Travelling community have been published, wherein 7 Travellers were wrongly
detained, accused of having a weapon and racially abused.
The offending officer is suspended on full-pay. There will be no criminal investigation.

The Abbeylara verdict came in and the Gardai were derided. A few succint sound bites
were thrown around. The gardai involved have been moved into other areas of the
force (some promoted) and the issue is effectively closed.

More telling in this short synopsis is the treatment of the prisoners and staff
at Mountjoy prison. The death by violence of one inmate, who had asked for
protective custody and was put in a holding cell with six men, one of whom was
schizophrenic and violent. There are three separate inquiries into that incident.
It was the fourth assault in three months, one other assault involved the stabbing in the
eye of a man who had been incarcerated for murder twenty four hours before
his assault. The prison officers have highlighted the budget problems and the
removal of facilities such as workshops and education. The men have access to
an excerise yard and communal area. They continue to slop out.
The service-(in a celtic tiger economy) has been criticised at every level
in Europe. Minister Mc Dowell clings relentlessly to the ideal of Thornton
Hall as a solution to his problems.

Mary Rafferty, in the times has published details of state-run children's homes
that are damning too. She states that restraints have been used in a routine
manner so as to cause harm.
(http://www.ireland.com)-17th of August 06.

The 1925 statute for the prison visiting committees and their responsibilities
are here: http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/zzA11y192553.html

The inspection reports and Blurb for DOJ Here: http://www.issi.ie/inspection/inspection_reports/reports/

Many people can trip up in a merit-o-cracy, and it is very hard to get back up.
The state responsibility to people in crisis , (witness the state facilities
for children in care ) has been neglected. These children being habitually
restrained and having no encouragement would point to the negligence
at the heart of a system that is timed out in terms of usefulness.

The Ministers will return to the Dail, after recess. During the summer
months we are exposed to the underbelly of the celtic tiger and it is not
pretty.