Forty inmates escaped from detention centre in year
Forty prisoners escaped from an open detention centre over a 12 month period, it emerged tonight.
A report has revealed a further eight offenders from Shelton Abbey, in Co Wicklow, failed to return following temporary release from the institution.
Twenty of the escapees and three of those on temporary release were still on the run at the time a report was commissioned on the centre in October 2005.
The smuggling of illegal drugs into the centre was also highlighted as an ongoing problem at the institution, the Inspector of Prisons and Places of Detention found.
The figures were recorded over the 12 months prior to the inspector’s visit, between October 10 – 15.
The scale of the problems at the centre were disclosed as the Minister of Justice Michael McDowell told the Prison Officers’ Association conference in Killarney that accommodation will be expanded and facilities improved at Shelton Abbey and at Loughan House low security facility in Co Cavan.
Shelton Abbey, an open detention centre for male offenders from 19 years upwards, caters for short sentence detainees and long-sentence offenders approaching the end of their jail term.
It currently accommodates up to 60 offenders, but capacity could be increased dramatically to 100 – 150 with extra staffing, funding and facilities.
“There are a considerable a number of absconders in view of the overall numbers held in the centre,” the report stated.
Inspectors also discovered very little staff training or development took place at the centre during the year, attributing it to a shortfall of staff and the financial restraints/budgets imposed on them.
It concluded that although Shelton Abbey is a well maintained open centre with a relaxed atmosphere, it appears to be suffering from low morale due to a previous threat of closure or change of management.
