Prisoner complaints system

The failure to appoint an ombudsman for prisoner complaints in the 26 Counties is a measure of how people in prison are treated here.

In the Six Counties there is an ombudsman dealing with prisoner complaints who is totally independent from those who administer the prison system.

Dermot Kinlan, the inspector of prisons here has highlighted the situation and is already on the public record as saying that because of the failure to appoint an ombudsman for prisoners, the 26 Counties administration may be denying human rights and in breach of international agreements.

We support the call by the inspector of prisons for a fully independent inspectorate in the 26 Counties.

The fact that prisoners have no adequate complaints procedure is an indictment of present 26 County administration policies and it places an unfair burden on the inspector of prison who cannot intervene for individuals.

It is time that an ombudsman for prisoner complaints was appointed and the awful truth of what is happening in our prisons revealed to the public.