Vol. 480 No. 2
300 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if the proposed remand prison at Cloverhill has provision for triple occupancy cells; and if such a retrograde step will be reviewed in favour of the more humane single occupancy cell. [13810/97]
The new prison which is currently under construction at Cloverhill has been designed to accommodate 400 remand prisoners. The regime applicable to remands differs significantly from that of the sentenced prisoner population and this had to be taken into account in the design of all aspects of the institution, including the cell accommodation. I can confirm that the accommodation will consist, in the main, of cells designed to accommodate up to three prisoners, as well as a certain proportion of single cell accommodation. The mix of accommodation to be provided has been decided with the particular characteristics of remand prisioners in mind. These factors include such matters as the average period spent in custody and other special needs and requirements. On average, remand prisoners spend less than two weeks in custody and in most cases the period is much less than this, often not more than 48 hours. The provision of single cell accommodation in every case and on such a short-term basis could not be justfied either in terms of the proper management of the institution or cost effectiveness. In cases, however, where indivduals are remanded for longer periods, ample single cell accommodation will be provided.
Regarding humane considerations, I am sure that the Deputy is aware of the fact that prisoners remanded by the courts, especially those imprisoned for the first time, are often in a somewhat distressed condition either mentally and-or physically on arrival at the prison. In the circumstances, the risk of self-mutilation or attempted suicides must be borne in mind. Experience has shown that shared accommodation is often the preferred option in such cases. Furthermore, where more than one prisoner is being accommodated in a cell, it is preferable, in many cases, that prisoners be confined three to a cell rather than two or four to a cell. I do not accept that this arrangement is in any way a retrograde step. It is, indeed, in line with international modern penal thinking and is being introduced here now in Cloverhill following consultation with prison governors and other practitioners in this country.
