By Tom Brady Security Editor
Irish Independent
DUBLIN, Ireland — More than 750 prisoners are being held under protection inside the nation’s jails -- many because of a growing ‘gang culture’.
The figure represents almost a fifth of the overall prison population, which yesterday reached 3,577 inmates.
Sex offenders account for 190 of the “protected” in line with traditional prison practice of keeping them apart from the rest of the inmates.
A further 90 sex offenders are held in Arbour Hill prison but that group, who are mainly serving lengthy sentences, are allowed to mix with the others.
The remaining 577 inmates in the “protected” category are segregated largely because they believe that their lives could be in danger.
Spillover
Prison officials say those fears usually emanate from failure to pay a debts over drugs to other criminals, or a spillover from a feud on the outside.
They include 112 prisoners in the country’s biggest remand jail, in Cloverhill in west Dublin.
The latest report from Cloverhill’s prison visiting committee, highlighted the huge growth in the numbers requesting protection in the past year.
The committee said this growth was a reflection of the gang culture present in society, pointing out that external feuds and affiliations did not stop when people were sent to jail.
It warned that this group formed a significant percentage of the prison population of around 440 and was placing a massive strain on the prison’s resources as well as being a logistical nightmare.
Apart from gang rivalry and drug debts, offenders could be placed in protection because they were being accused by other inmates of co-operating with the gardai.
However, inmates with a reputation as major gangland figures never seek protection as they believe it would diminish their reputation.
Gang boss John Gilligan resisted attempts to put him under special protection in Portlaoise jail last July, after he had been punched in the nose by another inmate.He was attacked after his secret interview with a magazine reporter, posing as a normal visitor, resulted in a crackdown on all visitors.
Copyright 2008 Irish Independent