Press Statement from Prison Officers Association (POA) Conference, Athlone, 4 May 2013

Speaking at the POA Annual Delegate Conference in Athlone this morning, John Clinton, General Secretary said, “We very much welcome a recent report from the Visiting Committee to St Patricks Institution, which compliments prison officers for their attitude and work performance. This compliment, which seems to contradict previous reports, does not alter the underlying problem, namely that prison officers are not trained to do this work. We are not trained in the sensitive and complex area of childcare. St Patricks caters for 16-17 year olds”
Clinton went on to say, “St Patricks is not fit for the purpose of catering for 16-17 year olds, some of whom can be very challenging. These young offenders must be incarcerated when found guilty of serious crimes and we have no difficulty with that. Further consideration is needed on the supports and interventions needed by these young people when incarcerated. Many of these young people will have committed serious crimes, but they are also most likely to have other issues, such as neglect, addiction, education deficiencies and often homelessness. Prison officer’s work diligently in St Patrick’s to provide the best possible service and support; however, we are depending very much on the personality of the individual prison officer, as there is no specific training to equip officers for this work. This is unfair on the prison officers and the young people”
Clinton concluded by saying, “This Government must now follow through on its own commitment, to take these young offenders out of the prison service, and into a separate care and correction system, with has the facilities and expertise meet the complex challenges presented in this specific and necessary intervention”