The Inspector of Prisons has commended the refurbishment of the main building of Mountjoy Prison Campus, and said the work being carried out is of an extremely high standard.

The Minister for Justice and Equality, Ms. Frances Fitzgerald TD, published a report by the Inspector of Prisons, Judge Michael Reilly, entitled 'An Overview of Mountjoy Prison Campus with particular emphasis on the Separation Unit'.

The C and D Divisions of the building formally known as St. Patrick's Institution have also been renovated to a high standard and now form part of the Mountjoy Prison. The Inspector is satisfied that appropriate structured activity and adequate out of cell time are available to prisoners. There is praise for the staff and management for turning this part of the Campus into a modern prison.

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The Inspector's investigation of the Separation Unit has uncovered deficiencies, bad practice, overcrowding, lack of regimes and services which he considers unacceptable. The Unit bears no relation to the main building of Mountjoy Prison. The Inspector describes prisoners in the Unit as inactive and there is a general air of neglect and decay. On his visits, the Inspector found the Unit to be dirty.

The Inspector recommends that the Separation Unit should play no further part in the Irish Prison Service Estate and that the Unit should be closed and the building decommissioned.

He concluded that with the closing of the Separation Unit, the relocation of 17 year old remands to Oberstown and the opening of the D Division of the main building in Mountjoy Prison in mid 2015 together with the refurbishment of the B Division in the old St. Patrick's, Mountjoy Prison should in the future stand inspection from any quarter.

(CD/MH)