Number of Irish held in prison abroad and seeking help steadily increasing

The Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas (ICPO) was established 30 years ago by the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference following concerns about the number of Irish men and women incarcerated in prisons in Britain, the nature of their trials and subsequent imprisonment.

Today, the ICPO supports more than 1,200 Irish people imprisoned in more than 30 countries. This is a significant number when one considers there are approximately 3,700 people in Irish prisons.

The ICPO supports all prisoners wherever they are. It does not make any distinction in terms of religious faith, the nature of the conviction or a prisoner's status. In recent years, the ICPO has experienced a steady increase in people coming to it for support. This may be attributable to our country's most recent wave of emigration. In January 2013, the ICPO was assisting four of our citizens in prison in Australia. Today that number is 30.

People find themselves in trouble with the law for a variety of reasons and it is correct that societies punish those who transgress their laws. However, a person should be defined by more than a single action. As we approach the Year of Mercy, Pope Francis reminds us all, "We are a church of sinners. And we sinners are called to let ourselves be transformed, renewed, sanctified by the mercy of God." This sentiment applies to prisoners as well as to the rest of us.

The vast majority of Irish prisoners overseas will eventually be released, with many choosing to return home. Therefore, it is in all our interests these people are supported during imprisonment and resettlement.

Anniversary conference

With funding from the

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

, the ICPO recently commissioned research entitled

A Step at a Time – The Resettlement Needs of Irish People Returning

from Prison Overseas

. This report is being launched as part of a 30th-anniversary conference taking place today in Dublin Castle, which will be attended by President

Michael D Higgins

.

It is the first detailed examination of the resettlement needs of this group – focusing on accommodation, education, training and employment, health and addiction issues, finance and family.

On reading the report, I was struck by a quote from an ex-prisoner interviewed as part of the research. Speaking of the support he received from his family during his imprisonment, he remarked: “If I didn’t have them I would not be in one piece. I wouldn’t have been able to get through my sentence. They have been the people reassuring me there is redemption.”

According to the Book of Genesis, as he was expelling Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden, God buoyed them up with the hope of salvation, promising redemption. St Augustine and some others of the saints were earlier public sinners. Change, growth and redemption are there for us all. We allow prisoners to grow and develop as we hope to grow and develop ourselves.

There are many families in this country dealing with the imprisonment of a loved one far from home and left to pick up the pieces and deal with the hurt and shame of another’s actions and support them as best they can.

Traumatic ordeal

Family members can find themselves struggling to understand a foreign prison system where English may not be spoken. There may be restrictions too on communication with prisoners. All of this must make for a very frightening and traumatic ordeal.

When the family at home gets word of a loved one being arrested abroad their worry can be intensified by lack of contact. This is where the strong working relationships, built over many years, between the ICPO, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Irish missionaries, apostolates and others, can offer comfort and hope to families.

Research shows how vitally important families are when a person is released. The family will generally assist with the integration of a prisoner back into society and is a significant factor in reducing recidivism rates. It is imperative they get support and compassion, not scorn and contempt.

For this same reason many families telephone the ICPO offices in Maynooth or London and begin by saying “I never thought this would happen to us.”

It is regrettably necessary for organisations such as the ICPO to exist and it is essential they continue to support people on different journeys from despair to hope. The presence of the ICPO reminds us we must not exclude, ignore or disregard portions of our population. The ICPO has an important mandate to represent Irish prisoners overseas and their families.

Bishop John Kirby is the Bishop of Clonfert and chair of the Irish Episcopal Council for Emigrants, which includes the Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas