Prejudiced views often heard in public would argue that prisoners should not be entitled to an education in prison. They should be doing forced labour, some would say. I disagree. I visited Limerick Prison recently and saw the difference it is making.
As a journalistic endeavour, reporting from prison is complicated by the fact that – understandably – prisoners cannot be named. As such, the two main prisoners I spoke to will be referred to by pseudonyms Jim and Joe.
To find out why I ended up visiting Limerick Prison read this report.
And to see their artwork, see our album on Facebook – click here – and on other social media.
Head teacher Anita Dooley said that the school within prison has a 70 to 80 percent engagement rate among the prison population which is around 280 prisoners.
QQI levels are very important to them, she said.
Jim said about the courses: “They put me on a path for life. And when I get out of here, I have plans.”
The first prisoner I met, Jim, was most welcoming. He shook my hand, gave me a warm welcome, and spoke up for the place and was positive, yet real.
He said: “You learn here to look out for each other and to be kind. It’s the little things we have that matter.”
They talked about chocolate and how some people just don’t have any money.
Prisoners are allowed to get money sent into them, but not all prisoners have somebody to send money into them. So they do look out for each other.
Anita gave an example from the bingo held the previous day. The prisoner who won the bingo shared his prize, which was chocolates, with another prisoner who he knew had no money.
Joe said of the prison experience, “If you give respect, you get respect.”
That was very important, all agreed.
Prison students win Gaisce awards
Every year the school has 15 participants seeking bronze, silver or gold Gaisce medals. The week before I visited one of the students won a Gaisce award. I met the prisoner who won the gold – and he was chuffed.
Anita said the Education Department is linked in with the Youth Services Programme. It ties in with the Red Cross and other projects. They link in with Limerick Prisons Education Unit for providing courses. They offer courses from QQI levels 1 to 5 and prisoners can earn certificates. At present, four prisoners are doing Open University.
Anita said, “Limerick Prison has been very supportive of the school. We’re rated very highly on the management plan.”
As Jim said, “School gets you off the landing.”
Both agreed there was “a good vibe in the library and in the school”.
It is good to have ambition.
Joe said he plans to become a professional boxer when he leaves here. He’s been boxing since the age of five and he hopes to win competitions when he gets out. He has also been making up for a lost education while behind bars.
Loneliness of prison
The wit and banter in Limerick prison keeps people going, but they are still locked up for an awful long time each day.
Jim said, “I don’t like being in prison. I find it very hard to tell the truth.”
He said, “It can be very lonesome.”
The school and all its services closed for two weeks over Christmas. Easter and summer are also tough when staff take leave.
“It’s hard time for the prisoners when they don’t have any school to go to,” said Anita. “They’re also supposed to get out in the yard three times a day, but it could be just once a day if staffing is an issue, and that means spending more time in the cells,” she said.
“Not all of us are bad”
Joe quietly but firmly pointed out that not all people behind bars have done dreadful things. “Not all of us are bad” was how he put it.
Also, for many of them, as Jim pointed out, it was the circumstances they grew up in that led to them being here. Jim explained that he wished he could turn back the clock, but one regrettable incident led to him getting a prison sentence.
Art & craft exhibits
While meeting staff and prisoners, I felt proud for one young man in particular who showed me his artwork and read from a speech to mark the opening of the craft fair in the school library. Visiting ETB personnel were due to meet the prisoners and hear the same speech that afternoon.
I was told the best work had been taken back to people’s cells, but what was on view was fantastic so pure works of art definitely live behind Limerick Prison’s high walls.
Support drops to near zero on release
There is a gap in the services and supports when prisoners are freed.
I learned that there are great services provided for prisoners while they’re in prison, but when they get out there is very little. Anita said because of that people can fall back into their old ways.
So, while there is great investment in education and support services for prisoners while they’re in prison, sometimes the good work is lost because it’s not followed up after people leave prison.
“We’re linked in with the Further Education and Training Boards,” she said, but that is not enough. She lamented that there are not better links with groups such as Limerick Build that are keen to support prisoners when they are released.
“We don’t join up the dots when it comes to community liaison and development,” she said.
Rehabilitation works, said Anita, when it’s funded properly.
Many have no family support on release
Jim and Joe both appreciated having family to support them after they are released. They agreed with Anita when she said, “A lot of people have no family to support them, no home to go to and nothing to do or look forward to when they get out.” She said they can easily “fall back on old ways”.
That is where Damien Quinn, founder of Spéire Nua, is doing great work. He often arranges meetings with newly released prisoners – to link in with them and see about getting them work if that’s what they want.
“They shouldn’t even get an education”
Prejudiced views often heard in public, including from some people Anita knows, would argue that prisoners should not be entitled to an education in prison. They should be doing forced labour, some would say. She abhors such views.
“Are we for retribution or for rehabilitation?” she asks. Those views also do not add up, she says, pointing to research and U.S. experience where the recidivist rate is very high among prisoners who were jailed solely as retribution. Ireland is different. We seek to rehabilitate people.
And Limerick Prison – all in all – was clean, friendly, fun and bright. Yes, there were a lot of locks and doors, but it did not feel as oppressive as I expected. I was only in for three hours in fairness.
