Home > Dail Eireann debate. Written answer 564 - Drugs in prison [1088/10].

[Oireachtas] Dail Eireann debate. Written answer 564 - Drugs in prison [1088/10]. (19 Jan 2010)

External website: https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/2...


564. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the sanctions imposed on prisoners who have had illegal drugs confiscated from them by the prison authorities.

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Deputy Dermot Ahern): The sanctions for breach of prison discipline are outlined in full in Section 13(1) of the Prisons Act, 2007, and can include one or more of the following:
      issuing the prisoner with a caution
      reprimanding the prisoner
      confinement in a cell for a period not exceeding 3 days
      prohibition of various privileges for a period not exceeding 60 days. This can include recreation, sending or receiving mail, receiving visits and making phone calls
      forfeiture of up to 14 days remission
      forfeiture of gratuity payments
 
On a wider level the prisoner can of course face criminal charges arising from the possession of drugs and a consequent penalty such as a further term of imprisonment. Further operational decisions may also be made having regard to the offence such as the prisoner being placed on screened visits, the banning of visitors who attempted to pass contraband and / or the transfer of the prisoner to another institution. Persistent offenders can also be segregated from the general prison population.
 
Vol. 699 No. 1  
Written Answers – Drugs in Prisons
Tuesday, 19 January 2010

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