Commenting on Foreign National Prisoners and Irish Prisons: Evaluating the Need for a Dedicated Service Bishop Hayes said, “I know well from my pastoral visits to our prisons around the country the amount time and effort invested in maintaining harmonious environments for the whole prison community. I have no hesitation in crediting civil servants, governors, staff, chaplains, the Irish Red Cross and prisoners themselves for creating this supportive and calm atmosphere within the Irish Prison Service.”
Bishops Hayes continued, “Notwithstanding this good work, our prison capacity is under pressure as it is overcrowded. This is a difficulty for the whole prison community. The Maynooth University findings today indicate that Foreign National Prisoners face additional challenges such as maintaining family relationships, visitation, language barriers and a lack of consistency in the provision of professional interpretation services. So as to respect the needs of our diverse prison population, these particular requirements should be addressed as a matter of urgency.”
Bishop Dempsey said, “since 1985 the role of the Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas has been to provide vital pastoral support to thousands of Irish people who have been incarcerated abroad, as well as to offer advice to their distraught families at home who suddenly find themselves in helpless circumstances. Our ICPO service offers essential assistance to Irish prisoners abroad who are incredibly isolated – physically, emotionally and psychologically. While our work goes unheralded, in a typical year it would involve providing over 9,000 letters, phone calls, emails and prison visits made to, from or on behalf of Irish citizens overseas, thus bearing real witness to the Gospel mission to love God and to love your neighbour.
“Today’s Maynooth University research, on the needs and perspectives of Foreign National Prisoners in Ireland, is equally deserving of the resourcing provided to support Irish prisoners abroad. In my opinion, the MU research complements key findings in a 2021 ICPO survey of Irish prisoners abroad, which included:
The biggest concern for Irish prisoners abroad was for their families;
60% of Irish prisoners abroad experienced mental health difficulties; and,
Prayer and spirituality help best to manage prisoner stress and anxiety, followed by exercise and gym.
Bishop Dempsey concluded, “It stands to reason that if prisoners – Irish or otherwise – are serving their sentence in another country, then they will experience specific additional challenges. In Ireland, from a humanitarian perspective, we need to provide resources for our Foreign National Prisoners in order to meet this reality in a practical way. We welcome this first comprehensive investigation that highlights the experience and specific needs of FNPs in the Irish Prison System. We hope this report raises awareness and ignites further investment in this area.”