AFTERCARE FOR FREED PRISONERS 'APPALLINGLY INADEQUATE'

THE aftercare back-up and services for people coming out of prison
after serving long sentences has been described by the Governor of
Mountjoy as appallingly inadequate.

John Lonergan, who has spent 31 years in the prison service and who
has been Governor of Mountjoy since 1984, has claimed that most people
left prison in a worse situation than when they entered because of the
duration of the sentence which often resulted in the break up of a
relationship, the loss of a job and accommodation.

Addressing the seventh Annual Youth Parliament in Waterford he pulled
no punches when he told 160 delegates from the Republic and Northern
Ireland that there was a huge need to give people who had served their
sentence of three, four or five years the right to change.

"That means giving them free opportunity in a life-like job, education
and accommodation in order to say to them, your behaviour might be
wrong, I condemn your behaviour however I don't condemn you as a human
being."

People, he said, should not be self-righteous and foolishly believe
that they would never end up in prison, when it was a fact that
anybody over the age of 17 could be jailed as a result of a single
piece of bad luck. In a clear reference to the current controversy
surrounding the Philip Sheedy case he said "that man was never in
prison before and was probably never in court before. A small bit of
bad judgement or mis-judgement like driving while drunk can turn your
life upside down," he said. In an attack on an intolerant society few
if any allowances were made, he said, for the circumstances of a
person's birth or upbringing.

Hundreds of babies were born to heroin addicts in affluent Ireland
every year. As these children began to grow into teenagers they
became, in the eyes of the self-righteous, the scum, the low lifes who
were ostracised without making allowances for the circumstances of
their birth and the lack of opportunity.

Referring to a recent survey of fifth and sixth year pupils in the
Ballyfermot/Chapolozid area of Dublin the four major issues associated
with people of those areas were alcohol, drugs, crime and teenage
pregnancy. Also 73% of the respondants believed they would not get a
job after leaving school because of their address.

"This should be of concern to everybody whether in Government, local
authorities, education or in local communities," he said.Attacking
what he described as our two-tier education system Mr Lonergan said
that money influenced how well young people fared in education. Those
who could afford grinds and private institutions had the power and the
choice and would get fairer opportunities.

On the other hand children born to drug addicts or to the socially
excluded are unlikely to grow into educated and motivated human beings.