The Office of the Inspector of Prisons has recommended that the Irish Prison Service needs to increase its methods of physically obstructing unauthorised items from entering the prison facilities, and to enhance detection of these items if they have been brought onto the property. This should also incorporate technological approaches.
The recommendation came in the wake of a report into the death of a prisoner identified as Mr E, who was 34 years old at the time of his death at Cloverhill Prison in August 2021. This report was given to the Justice Minister, Helen McEntee in February and was presented to the Oireachtas this week.
The Inspector further recommended a stronger involvement of the Irish Prison Service with other key stakeholders, including An Garda Síochána. This partnership should aim at creating a multi-agency written plan to thwart the entry of unauthorised items into prison. The proposed plan should consider technological solutions, structural improvements and measures to prevent coercion or exploitation as a means to smuggle drugs or other prohibited items into prison.
Mr E was held at Cloverhill on drug-related charges. He shared a cell with two other inmates and on the afternoon of August 11st, 2021, they were given permission to use the exercise yard. It was reported that Mr E had obtained between five to ten tablets, known as “zimmos”, from another inmate within the yard and had already consumed four. Furthermore, the report indicated that inmates had consumed illegal alcohol in the cell.
The fellow inmates reported that Mr E fell ill during the night and was found unresponsive the next morning. Despite efforts of CPR by prison staff and paramedics, he was declared dead by a doctor at 9.05am.