Report on Visit to Mountjoy Prison

national | bin tax / household tax / water tax | news report

Wednesday November 12, 2003 13:01

by Oisín Kelly - UCD Students' Union

sueducation at ucd dot ie

Student Centre, Belfield, D4 / SU Office, UCD, Earsfort Terrace, D2.

Yesterday (Tuesday 12th November) I went to Mountjoy Prison in Dublin
to visit David Murphy, UCDSU Class Rep and bin tax prisoner.

In
Mountjoy 2 other bin tax prisoners are jailed - Fionn Ryder and Mick Murphy.
The other 4 bin tax prisoners are in Wheatfield Prison. A request came
from the Department of Justice, probably from the Minister Michael
McDowell, that David and Fionn be put in with the general prison
population and not go to the more relaxed Training Unit. David was
getting on well and is in good spirits.

Mountjoy Prison is a very old prison, it was built in the 1850s and is
largely unchanged since then. David joked that he would love to see a
picture of his prison cell when it was built and it would be no
different to now other than a small light and electricity socket!I met
David in the Education area of the Prison where prisoners can go in
the mornings and afternoons. They do Art, History, Cookery, Politics
in the school. Many prisoners are studying to sit their Leaving
Certificate- the End of Secondary School Examinations (A levels in UK)

The conditions in the prison are disgraceful. David and Fionn are in a
cell together and don't have much room. There are no toilet facilities
in the cell. They are supplied with a bucket if they have to go to the
toilet during the night. They are only entitled to one shower a week
and one change of clothes a week. The standard of food is also very
low. They are not allowed have a watch and are restricted in the
number of phonecalls and letters they can send. I was able to look
around the School facilities in the Prison. They have not got adequate
space or resourses.

David, Fionn and Mick are in 'D wing' of the Prison. They are in with
the general prison population and are not segregated. David has not
had any problems with the other prisoners, they are friendly to them
and they respect the stand that they have taken. In general the prison
staff, in particular the teachers, have been very helpfull to them.

I gave David the letters that I was given to give to him, including greetings from abroad. I passed on the greetings of the UCD Students Union- he thanked all those that are camapigning for his release. David said that he may use 1 of his 2 letters he's allowed to send to tell USI President Will Priestly and the other USI officers to get active in the Campaign for the release of the prisoners. I would
encourage everyone to send in greetings to David, Fionn and Mick
in Mountjoy and the other 4 prisoners in Wheatfield to keep up their
morale.