I propose to take Questions Nos. 2 and 3 together.
There were no escapes from any of the closed prison institutions in the period from 1998 to date. There have been, however, a number of incidents in which prisoners have escaped from custody while outside the secure confines of a closed prison. For the purpose of this question, I am assuming that where the Deputy refers to prisoners escaping from Garda custody, he is referring to prisoners being escorted to or from prison by gardaí, usually for the purpose of court appearances.
The figures requested by the Deputy are as follows:
|
Year
|
Number of Escapes from Prison Custody
|
Number of Escapes from Garda Custody
|
|
1998
|
7
|
1
|
|
1999
|
14
|
0
|
|
2000
|
8
|
2
|
|
2001 (to date)
|
4
|
0
|
Prisoners have succeeded in escaping by using a variety of means, including pulling out syringes in the course of an escort and demanding that their handcuffs be removed, breaking through windows in the holding cells of courthouses, climbing out of hospital windows and, in one recent incident, armed intervention by associates.
When an escape occurs from a prison escort, the Garda Síochána is immediately notified and takes whatever steps possible to apprehend the prisoner. An investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident is conducted by the prison governor. Where appropriate, operational procedures are reviewed and enhanced. It should be noted that the vast majority of these escapees have since been recaptured and returned to prison to complete their sentences. A few have returned voluntarily.
The most recent incident occurred on Sunday, 18 February 2001. A prisoner escaped during the course of an escort to a neutral venue to meet his mother who was unable to visit him in the prison for health reasons. The prisoner was serving a nine year sentence for a most serious sexual offence and he was due for release on 19 September 2002. The prisoner was escorted from the prison to the venue in the company of three prison officers. A number of similar outings had taken place previously to the same venue without incident. The standard procedure in this type of escort is that the area in which the meeting was to take place would be examined to ensure the staff were satisfied with the security arrangements. The officers were deployed around the venue. Under the pretence of going to the toilet, the offender escaped through a back door. Staff conducted a search of the area and contacted the prison which, in turn, notified the Garda.
The Garda was provided with details on the prisoner, including a recent photograph, last known address, physical description and details on his victim. It would be an operational decision for the Garda whether to notify the general public about the escape, but I can confirm that the victim's family was notified at the earliest possible time. I express my personal regret at the additional distress this episode has undoubtedly caused to the victim.
The prisoner returned voluntarily to Arbour Hill on Monday, 26 February 2001 at approximately 9 p.m. The Governor of Arbour Hill has conducted an investigation into the incident, including the circumstances of his release under escort from the prison and the events leading up to his escape. His report was forwarded to the Director General of the Prison Service and me yesterday. The report contains a number of issues of concern which the director is addressing as a matter of urgency. For security reasons, it would be appropriate for me to go into further detail on this aspect. I fully understand that such incidents cause public concern. In order to safeguard both the prison staff and the general public, every precaution must be taken to prevent their recurrence. I was shocked that a prisoner who was convicted of such a serious offence was able to escape.
Following the spate of recent escapes the director general of the prisons service set up an expert review group to examine the circumstances of each escape, to review escorting procedures and the equipment used in such escorts. The areas being examined include transport arrangements, staff training, the profiling of prisoners, searching procedures, the use of handcuffs and batons and the situation in relation to key-holders. This group, whose members include the head of operations in the Irish Prisons Service and two senior prison governors, made significant progress. I cannot provide exact details, on security grounds, but I am informed by the director general that this group has identified areas where immediate improvement is possible. New guidelines will shortly issue to all prison governors. The review group continues to examine other issues which require longer-term actions and may involve other agencies, including the Courts Service and the Garda.
It is the nature of prison escorts that there is always an element of risk in transporting prisoners outside a prison. It is, however, estimated that less than one in every thousand escorts result in an escape bid by a prisoner. The vast majority of escorts effected by prison officers are completed without incident. There have been many occasions, usually unreported, where prison staff, by their vigilance and professionalism, have prevented the escape of prisoners, often when faced with considerable threat.
