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Many prisoners refused to request temporary Christmas release this year due to the prevalence of Covid-19 in the community.
In general, the figures that received the traditional temporary release during the Christmas period are a fraction of previous years. Only 36 prisoners will be released, roughly one percent of the prison population. Last year 113 were released. In 2018 and 2017, 137 and 142 were released respectively.
In a statement, the Irish Prison Service (IPS) said that the reduction in the number of people receiving temporary release is the result of several factors, including the reduction in the prison population “leading to a reduced pool of eligible prisoners.”
The prison population is smaller this year, due in part to lower levels of crime and a lower workload in criminal courts as a result of the pandemic.
Other schemes, such as the Community Return and Community Support schemes, have also been widely used throughout the year to reduce the number of people in prison and help reduce the risk of Covid-19 within the 12 facilities in the country.
In addition to these factors, there were a reduced number of requests for the Christmas temporary release of prisoners “due to the risk of contracting Covid-19 while they are in the community,” he said.
To date, around 22 confirmed cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in the prison system. The IPS said that most of these cases involved people who became infected in the community before entering prison. No deaths have been confirmed.
There have been more than 81,000 cases of Covid-19 in the general population and 2,171 deaths.
The release periods granted to the 36 prisoners vary from a few hours to six nights. “All releases are subject to strict conditions and any offender who violates these conditions can be arrested and immediately returned to prison by the Gardaí,” said IPS.
Many of these prisoners are nearing the end of their sentences. The IPS said the main concern when considering release is public safety. Compassionate and humane considerations are also taken into account, as well as the gravity of the prisoner’s crime and behavior in custody.
Another reason for the low number of people accepting temporary release may be the strict conditions involved this year. Inmates will be required to strictly adhere to public health guidelines while on release. When they return to prison, they will need to be quarantined for 14 days or until they test negative for the virus.
Those who remain in prison over Christmas will be allowed a physical visit. It will be the first time in nearly four months that they have seen family or loved ones in person.
Each visit will last 15 minutes and could involve a maximum of two visitors: two adults or one adult and one child. Family members and prisoners will be required to wear face masks, while prisoners and their visitors will also be separated by transparent screens in an attempt to prevent any transmission of the infection.
No physical contact will be allowed between inmates and visitors and packages or cash will not be accepted in the prison reception areas for inmates, which is a departure from normal arrangements.
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