asked the Minister for Justice the proposals, if any, he has to alleviate the conditions in which women are held in prison, having regard to the fact that the great majority of women sentenced to prison are convicted of relatively minor offences; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Women's Prison Conditions.
41.
Substantial work has been undertaken in recent years to improve the accommodation available at the women's prison in Mountjoy.
In October 1986 work was completed on converting the old officers' quarters into eight multiple cells capable of accommodating 24 offenders. This accommodation is very modern and includes toilet and washing facilities in each cell. It also provides additional recreation and showering facilities.
Other improvement works included the conversion of an old storage area into a knitting room which provides working accommodation for 12 offenders and the conversion of a small area of the old laundry into a sewing room with working accommodation for six.
The main block area has been totally rewired and a new cell communication system has been installed.
While I believe that these improvements are welcome I am anxious to proceed with the acquisition of the new unit in the grounds of the Central Mental Hospital which it was intended to use primarily for female offenders with medical and related problems. The Deputy will be aware that the previous Government decided early last year that the unit should be handed over to my Department but this decision was not implemented. I am in contact with my colleague, the Minister for Health, with a view to ensuring its implementation at this stage.
Incidentally, I do not accept that it is necessarily the case that the great majority of women sentenced to prison are convicted of relatively minor offences. For example, of the 34 sentenced offenders in the women's prison earlier this week, only 11 were serving sentences of less than a year.