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Irish Examiner
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
If we want to stop crime, we have to talk to those committing it
The latest figures on severe overcrowding in Irish prisons have prompted renewed calls for creative thinking, but here's an idea that rarely gets traction: we need to include prisoners in the discussion. How can we tackle crime if we don't listen to the people who commit it? Thousands of books — and myriad articles — have been written about men in prison, but so very few are written by the men themselves. That is why What We're Made Of, a new book written by men in Mountjoy Prison, should make us sit up and take notice. Written by a section of society that gets little support — and less empathy — it challenges, inspires and chips away at the kind of prejudice that leads many inmates to say they feel they have been sentenced twice; once by the judges and, on release, by the indelible stigma that locks them out of so much. But this is not, in any way, a sentimental call to go soft on crime. Instead, it is a clear-eyed look at its root causes and an impassioned call to society to help break the cycle of poverty and violence that traps so many people within it. 'What We're Made Of' brings together an exceptional body of work created by men in Mountjoy as part of The Factory on the Royal Canal project, a year-long programme facilitated by Senator Lynn Ruane, pictures' and artist Grace Dyas. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins As one prisoner writes: 'I am sorry to every person I have ever harmed. I wish I could take it back, I genuinely do. But I can't. I have to live with that shame for the rest of my life. My goal now is to stop the cycle. I want to share my experiences so that the next generation doesn't have to make the same mistakes.' What We're Made Of, however, does more than simply share those experiences. It brings together an exceptional body of work created by men in Mountjoy as part of The Factory on the Royal Canal project, a year-long programme facilitated by Senator Lynn Ruane and artist Grace Dyas. In that time, prisoners were encouraged to become writers, actors, set designers and directors. They wrote two original plays, Prison Rules and Pedro's Dream, which were staged in the prison for an invited audience of 150 decision-makers, politicians and advocates. Taking inspiration from Augusto Boal, the Brazilian creator of Theatre of the Oppressed, the audience was invited to become 'spect-actors', that is, spectators who watch, listen and then take action. This is theatre as an agent of social change. The audience was also asked a question which permeates What We're Made Of: What have you done to tackle the embedded structural inequalities that mean most, if not all, of the people in prison come from working-class backgrounds? If that all sounds a little theoretical, it roars into vivid life when Pedro — the pen name chosen by all the contributors — takes the stage at the book's launch (by Ray D'Arcy) in the Museum of Literature Ireland (Moli). Here's a sample of his powerful performance, which comes from the prologue to Prison Rules: 'Ask any 10-year-old child sitting in a so-called 'Deis' classroom what they would like to be when they are older. I am certain they won't say: homeless, drug-addicted, drug-dealer, alcoholic, prisoner, or dead before their time after falling through the cracks in our broken society. But too often this is the case… I believe there is a subtle oppression at play here, the soft bigotry of low expectations.' Here's another thought-provoking snippet: 'As [actor and playwright] Emmet Kirwan so eloquently put it on the Late Late Show, it wasn't the people in tracksuits who bankrupted the country and caused untold misery, it was the people in business suits. White-collar crime and cronyism cost the exchequer millions a year but there are no white-collar criminals or politicians on my landing.' A cell in Mountjoy Prison: Prisons condemn thousands of people to spend 'demoralising groundhog days' on the inside before being released with a stigma that can't be expunged. And, finally, a thought experiment from the play's epilogue: Before returning to his 12x6 cell, Pedro asks us to imagine a hospital, a clean, state-of-the-art, publicly funded hospital that costs tens of millions of euro a year. There is, however, one big problem. For every 10 people it treats, seven come back with the same issue within a year. It wouldn't be long before such an ineffective money-pit was closed down, but prisons — with those very same statistics — condemn thousands of people to spend 'demoralising groundhog days', to use another Pedro's evocative term, on the inside before being released with a stigma that can't be expunged. Actor Neilí Conroy, playing the part of Ireland, gives a jolting performance that lays bare a truth that we don't want to face. It is so much easier to paint all prisoners as rule-breaking, drug-taking 'scum' and lock them up. "Go into that cell now,' she says, 'I don't wanna look at you. I'm getting your father to build a high wall all around you.' Then, from the back of the room — just behind me — a man stands up to challenge her. For one toe-curling moment, the assembled invitees think there is going to an awkward scene. And indeed there was a scene, a deeply moving one that was all part of the launch performance. Except it is not a performance at all. As Pedro (a now-former prisoner) starts talking, it is crystal clear that we are, if not guilty, then responsible for perpetuating stereotypes and failing to look at the reasons people end up in jail. The solution?: 'If I had help when I was a child… maybe I would not be here today… I ask you [Ireland] to let me help you help those who were in my position… so the next generation of broken children don't cause the pain that I have caused. "Please don't wait till they are in prison to fix them. Let's work together to teach these young people about themselves.' What We're Made Of provides a manual, one that is urgent now as Irish prisons, creaking at the seams, are forced to pack three or four people into cells designed for two. As Pedro says: 'I am here as punishment, not for punishment.' It might not be a popular message but, as Pedro points out, the cycle of violence can end only if everyone is included: 'It takes many parts of society — the gardaí, the teachers and the State bodies — to perpetuate the cycle. It will take all of us to end it.' Speaking of ends, there are no plans to rerun a project that prisoners and their families said gave them a kind of hope they had never felt before. The draft budget for a new 19-24 month programme for 40 men is €110,000, says Senator Ruane. To put that in context, it costs almost €100,000 to keep one prisoner in jail for a year. 'The men are putting every penny from the book sales into a prospective new project with younger men. Their ambition is to create a meaningful legacy and give the younger men opportunities they didn't have,' she says. Ask artist Grace Dyas what she hopes to do next and she'll tell you she wants to be sent back to prison. We might do all we can to help her get there. What We're Made Of costs €20 and is available from Books Upstairs:
HKFP
23-07-2025
- Politics
- HKFP
Gov't denies using new prison rules after visitor allegedly barred from seeing inmate jailed for nat. sec offences
The Correctional Services Department (CSD) has not used tightened prison rules to ban any visitors or impose any restrictions on prison visits, the authorities said, after a visitor was allegedly denied permission to see an inmate. In a statement published on Tuesday night, the CSD acknowledged that it had denied a member of the public permission to visit someone in prison that morning because the visitor 'was not on the declared visitors list of the PIC,' or person in custody. 'According to the established mechanism, visitors must be declared visitors on the PIC's declared visitors list,' the CSD said. 'Since the Prison (Amendment) Rules 2025 came into effect last Friday, the CSD has not invoked Rule 48 of the Prison Rules to prohibit any person from conducting visits, nor has it imposed restrictions or conditions on any visits.' The new prison rules, which allow the CSD to restrict or ban a person from visiting an inmate on certain grounds, including safeguarding national security, took effect on Friday, just two weeks after the government proposed the amendments. Separately, Ben – a pseudonym – told HKFP that he went to a prison on Tuesday morning with a friend to visit an inmate jailed for national security offences. Ben said that he had confirmed with the CSD on Monday and last week that his name was on the visitors' list of the person in custody. 'On Tuesday morning, after CSD staff checked my identity card and my friend's, they said I was not allowed to visit because the person in custody had taken my name off the list, but my friend could still pay a visit,' Ben said in Cantonese. He added that the detainee's family had contacted the CSD to enquire what had happened. New rules Under the new prison rules, the CSD can restrict the visitation rights of religious leaders and lawyers if it sees a need to protect national security. Existing rules allow a chaplain to visit a prisoner 'at all reasonable times.' Additionally, the CSD can apply for a warrant from a magistrate to bar an inmate from communicating with a legal representative, in person or in writing, as well as with anyone associated with the law firm concerned.
HKFP
17-07-2025
- Politics
- HKFP
Tightened prison rules restricting visits on nat. security grounds to take effect on Friday
Tightened prison rules restricting lawyers and religious leaders from visiting inmates will take effect on Friday, just two weeks after the authorities proposed the amendments. The fast-tracked legislative amendments will allow the Correctional Services Department (CSD) to restrict or even ban a person from visiting an inmate on certain grounds, including safeguarding national security. The proposal will be gazetted and passed directly into law on Friday under 'negative vetting' procedures, allowing it to come into effect before being scrutinised by lawmakers on Wednesday next week. The government proposes the amendments 'to ensure that we can effectively prevent, suppress and impose punishment for acts and activities endangering national security,' said the Security Bureau in a statement on Wednesday. 'Amidst the present complicated geopolitical situation, national security risks still exist. It is necessary to amend the [Prison Rules] as soon as possible to prevent and resolve relevant risks in a timely manner, the earlier the better, for safeguarding national security effectively.' New rules The new rules would grant the CSD the power to refuse any visits that do not comply with statutory purposes, such as facilitating the rehabilitation of inmates and their reintegration into society. The government also proposes restricting the visitation rights of religious leaders and lawyers if authorities see a need to protect national security. Existing rules allow a chaplain to visit a prisoner 'at all reasonable times.' The government also suggests that the CSD can apply for a warrant from a magistrate to bar an inmate from communicating with a legal representative, in person or in writing, as well as with anyone associated with the law firm concerned. The proposal to restrict communications between inmates and lawyers appears to be a response to the convictions of pro-democracy activist Owen Chow and his lawyer, Phyllis Woo, who were found guilty last year of removing a complaint letter from prison without the CSD's approval. Woo is seeking to take her case to the city's top appeals court, with a hearing still pending. The amendments are also set to abolish existing provisions allowing people in detention awaiting trial to wear their own clothes and order meals from outside prison. Other proposals include expanding prison officers' powers to safeguard national security in areas such as regulating and screening letters coming in and out of prisons, handling books from outside, and imposing solitary confinement.
Indian Express
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Prison authorities can decide on furlough requests of convicts whose appeals are pending in Supreme Court: Delhi HC
The Delhi High Court Tuesday ruled that prison authorities can decide on parole or furlough requests of convicts whose appeals are pending in the Supreme Court. The court was hearing a challenge to Delhi's prison rules by convicts in the 1987 Hashimpura massacre. The convicts had specifically challenged Note 2 to Rule 1224 of the Delhi Prison Rules, 2018, after their requests for furlough were denied by jail authorities earlier. The said provision reads: 'If an appeal of a convict is pending before the High Court or the period for filing an appeal before the High Court has not expired, furlough will not be granted and it would be open to the convict to seek appropriate directions from the Court.' Justices Prathiba Singh and Amit Sharma reasoned, 'The fact that 'Supreme Court' had not been incorporated in Note 2 to Rule 1224 of the Prison Rules is further fortified from the fact that various other provisions in the Prison Rules have referred to 'Supreme Court' in various circumstances, and therefore, non-mentioning of 'Supreme Court' in the Note 2 to Rule 1224 of the Prison Rules cannot be considered as an omission. The intention of the Competent Authority while drafting the Rules is clear from the plain language itself that what was restricted was grant of parole/furlough to convicts whose appeals are pending adjudication before the High Court and not Hon'ble Supreme Court.' The division bench further held that 'since mere pendency of Criminal Appeal/Special Leave Petition before the Hon'ble Supreme Court cannot be taken as a bar for release on furlough, each case would be determined on its own eligibility criteria as per Rules by the Competent Authority and the same would be subject to judicial the High Court'. It added that the prison rule provision cannot be interpreted to consider a bar on either the convicts' right to apply for furlough if their appeal is pending before the Supreme Court. During the 1987 Hashimpura massacre in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut, the accused, who were posted for riot control following communal riots, rounded up around 42-45 Muslim men and took them away in a truck. They were later shot, and the bodies were dumped in the Gang Nahar and Hindon canal. Of the 38 who were killed, the bodies of only 11 were identified by families. The remaining bodies were not recovered. In 2018, a division bench of the Delhi High Court, headed by Justice S Muralidhar, reversed the 2015 acquittal of 16 former members of the Uttar Pradesh Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) in the Hashimpura massacre case, and held them guilty of murder, criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, and causing disappearance of evidence. The convicts were sentenced to life imprisonment. The Delhi High Court also set aside a single judge's interpretation in an order in July 2023, which had held that the 'high court' in the above provision implies any appellate court, which would then include the Delhi High Court as well as the Supreme Court. The convicts, whose criminal appeals are pending before the Supreme Court, had challenged the rejection of their furlough request by the prison authorities. The latest court ruling means that the high court can now hear their petitions seeking a review of the prison authorities' rejection. The division bench in its order held, 'To impose a bar on consideration of parole/furlough if a Special Leave Petition or Appeal is pending in the Supreme Court could have completely unpredictable consequences and could also result in practical difficulties for convicts who may require to be granted parole/furlough due to emergent situations.' 'It cannot be expected that every convict would have to compulsorily approach the Supreme Court for temporary release or emergent release in grave situations, including medical exigencies of the convict, demise in the family, any emergency involving children of the convict, etc… The Delhi Prison Rules are categorical and clear that Rule 1224 bars parole/furlough being granted only if the appeal is pending in the High Court. This bar cannot be extended to the Supreme Court by way of judicial interpretation when the language does not read as such,' the order added.
Express Tribune
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
May 9 convict to be moved closer to home, LHC rules
The Lahore High Court (LHC) has directed the Inspector General (IG) Prisons Punjab to transfer Muhammad Farukh, convicted by a military court in connection with the May 9 riots, from Sialkot Jail to Central Jail Faisalabad. Justice Farooq Haider issued the order after hearing Farukh's petition, in which he highlighted the absence of any written judgment or formal transfer order despite repeated requests to the Defence Secretary and other authorities. Farukh, a civilian tried in-camera by a military tribunal and sentenced to five years' imprisonment, is challenging the constitutionality of his trial before the Supreme Court. He argued that his arrest, trial, and conviction all took place in Faisalabadwhere he and his family resideyet he has been held in Sialkot Cantt and then Sialkot Jail. "This arrangement has imposed severe hardship on my family," Farukh told the court. He is the sole breadwinner for a household that includes a wife and two young children, aged two and four. Each week they endure a three-hour journey from Faisalabad to Sialkot merely to visit him, straining their limited finances and forcing them to miss some visits altogether. His children's education and emotional well-being have suffered due to the distance and irregular meet-ups. Justice Haider observed that, under the spirit of the Prison Rules, relocating a prisoner closer to his home-especially when the offence, arrest, and initial trial occurred thereserves both the family's welfare and the prisoner's rehabilitation. The IG Prisons Punjab has been summoned to comply with the court's directive and to ensure that all procedural requirements for the transfer are completed without delay. Meanwhile, A three-member bench of the Lahore High Court, led by Chief Justice Aalia Neelum, on Thursday adjourned hearings in multiple petitionsincluding one seeking implementation of the Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Act and another challenging the ban on X (formerly Twitter)after being informed that Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan had returned to Islamabad.
