ICPO NEWS Issue No
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ICPO NEWS Issue No. 79 Autumn 2019 Issue No. 75 Autumn 2017 Prison Yoga Contents ICPO ICPO Volunteers ……………………………………………………... 3 It is estimated that at any one time there are in excess of 1,200 Irish Returning to Live in Ireland while on licence …..… 4 people in prison overseas. Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas Repatriation Update …………………………………………….…. 5 (ICPO) has contact with Irish people in prisons in more than twenty five countries, the majority of whom are in the UK, with many more The First Step Act 2018 …………………………………….…. 6 detained throughout the US, Australia, Europe, South and Central Family Matters …………………………………………………..….… 8 America and Asia. Listowel Winning Entries ………..……………………………. 10 The Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas (ICPO) was established by Acknowledgements …..………………………………...…….…… 13 the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference in 1985 in response to serious concerns regarding the number of Irish men and women in UK Sports Shorts …………………………………………………...… . 14 prisons. These deeply held concerns related to their trials and subsequent imprisonment. Traveller Equality Programme …………………………….. 16 Your Letters …………………………………………………………... 18 In recent years ICPO has been able to offer a more comprehensive service to prisoners and to expand our existing services to prisoners’ Poetry Corner ……………………………………………………...… 20 families. ICPO works for all Irish prisoners wherever they are. It makes no distinction in terms of religious faith, the nature of the Smidín Gaeilge ………………………………………………….….…. 21 prison conviction, or of a prisoner’s status. Challenge Yourself …………………………………………….….. 22 The objectives of the ICPO are to: Ian’s Himalayan Trip ……………………………………….…… 24 Identify and respond to the needs of Irish prisoners abroad and their families; Greetings from all in the ICPO, Research and provide relevant information to prisoners on issues such as deportation, repatriation and transfer; Focus public attention on issues affecting Irish prisoners In this edition of the newsletter we have informative articles (ill-treatment, racist abuse, etc); about licence transfers, repatriation and a recent piece of US Engage in practical work in aid of justice and human rights for legislation called The First Step Act. There is also a lovely piece Irish migrants, refugees and prisoners at an international level; written by ICPO Administrator, Bernie Martin, detailing the Visit Irish prisoners abroad where possible both in the UK and elsewhere. history of volunteerism within ICPO and the important roles each one of them play in enhancing the level of support we can provide STAFF Maynooth you. Indeed, it is an overdue acknowledgement of their Brian Hanley, Ciara Kirrane, Ian Hanna, commitment, competence and generosity of spirit in supporting Catherine Kenny, Bernie Martin and Leslie Alcock. ICPO and its work with Irish people imprisoned overseas. London Fr. Gerry McFlynn, Liz Power, Breda Power and Declan Ganly. I was very interested to read the excellent article sent in by SD VOLUNTEERS in Australia where he details what life is like in an Australian Maynooth: Sr. Anne Sheehy, Eileen Boyle, Joan O’Cléirigh, and Betty Wilson. prison. Hopefully, it will inspire more of you to share your experiences as these stories are always read with great interest. London: Sr. Moira Keane, Sr. Agnes Miller, Sara Thompson, Sally Murphy and Fr. Gerard McMahon. Inside we also announce the winners of the Listowel Writers’ ICPO is a registered charity with covenanted tax status under its parent body the IECE. UK: 280742 Ireland: CHY 5956 Week competitions. The standard of entry was exceptionally high Views expressed in ‘ICPO News’ are the author’s own and not and our warmest congratulations go to the successful entrants necessarily those of the ICPO and to all who submitted articles, poems etc. Please keep them How we may be contacted: coming! ICPO, Columba Centre Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland Tel: 01-505-3156 Fax: 01-629-2363 My thanks as always to our regular contributors – Caitriona Ní Email: [email protected] Web: www.icpo.ie Bhaoill, author of Smídín Gaeilge, Ian Hanna for his popular sports ICPO, PO Box 75693, London NW1W7ZT, England supplement and Leslie Alcock for the Family Page. Lastly, I wish to Tel: 0207-482-4148 Fax: 0207-482-4815 Email: [email protected] thank the ICPO staff and volunteers (in particular Eileen Boyle) for their hard work in putting this newsletter together. Materials on these pages are copyright © the Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas or reproduced with permission from the copyright owner. It is not permitted to reproduce, republish, If there are things you would like to see more of in the redistribute or resell, in all or in part, any material from this newsletter without the written permission of the editor. newsletter or you would like to send us an article, book review, short story, etc., please get in touch. ICPO is greatly indebted to its funders for their generous support. Brian Hanley, ICPO Coordinator Cover Photo by Maureen Warren. Hook Lighthouse is one of the oldest lighthouses in the World; marking the entrance to Waterford Harbour at the mouth of the Three Sisters river system for over 800 years. 2 ICPO Volunteers The ICPO was established by the Irish Catholic There are volunteer penfriends, 67 at present, who Bishops’ Conference in 1985 in response to serious write regularly to prisoners, who probably do not concerns regarding the number of Irish men and know the impact their letter writing makes in a women in UK prisons. The political situation at the prisoners life. There is Sr. Agnes who worked for time meant that many Irish people in the UK were many years as a prison chaplain now retired but who arrested and put in prison without charge; they still writes letters to some of her old friends. needed support as did their families at home who faced the often impossible task of locating loved There are family members who volunteer to speak ones in prisons throughout England. In the at family days and ICPO conferences. We know how intervening 35 years, ICPO has supported thousands difficult this must be for them but their testimony of Irish people in prison overseas and their families. is invaluable to other family members who are experiencing trauma and heartbreak with the news ICPO provides many services to prisoners: that a loved one is facing time in prison. information and support, newsletters, and the penfriend service to name but a few. Families are There are volunteers in the Maynooth and London invited to a Family Day twice each year and receive offices who look after databases, newsletters, information on planning a prison visit and ways they Family Information Days and a host of other things can support a family member while in prison. that keeps the ICPO wheel turning. Volunteers who look after the everyday tasks, particularly Sr Moira With all of these supports and the number of in London who recently won the Irish in Britain clients involved the staff alone could not provide Volunteer Award and our own volunteers in these services but through the years ICPO has been Maynooth, Joan and Eileen and Sr Anne who each lucky to have a committed team of volunteers that have given 15 years of service to ICPO clients. selflessly give their talents and precious time supporting the work of ICPO. Our volunteers have been instrumental in providing new ways for ICPO to reach out to clients and their There are volunteers from Irish welfare and families. pastoral workers in faraway places who visit clients in prison on a regular basis when there is nobody The lives of thousands of clients have been made else to do it. richer because of the selfless contribution of our volunteers. ICPO could not function without them There are volunteers who work on the missions and and we are indebted to them all. upon contact from ICPO agree to visit an Irish person who might be several hours from their place of residence and away from the reach of an embassy or consulate. There is a volunteer sister in the USA who visits prisoners on a regular basis, driving long distances and providing much needed support to prisoners who will be in prison for many years. There are volunteers who visit prisoners in the UK in places that are out of reach for the London office. Because of our volunteer visitors ICPO can support Irish prisoners worldwide, often providing contact and much needed support in countries where prison conditions are sub-standard and often people can be further isolated by language barriers. 3 Returning to live in Ireland while on licence Prisoners in England and Wales almost invariably Service (NPS) local delivery unit (determinate spend time on licence following their release from sentences) or the Public Protection Casework custody. For Irish prisoners whose family or Section (indeterminate sentences). permanent home is in Ireland, having to spend Once approved by the relevant authorities in months or years on licence in a country they may England or Wales, the International Desk of the have little or no connection to can be a difficult Probation Service in Ireland will be contacted to prospect. begin the process of arranging your post release supervision in Ireland. The Probation Service in Under Prison Service Instruction (PSI) 08/2015 - Ireland will consider your application and will Permanent resettlement outside England and Wales undertake a visit to your address in Ireland to of offenders subject to post-release supervision - complete a Home Circumstances Report (HCR), Irish prisoners in England and Wales can apply to which is an assessment of your family/residential move back to Ireland when they are released on situation. If they are satisfied that they can safely licence if they meet certain conditions. These are manage your supervision, the Probation Service in set out in PSI 08/20151 as follows: Ireland will consent to your transfer and the specific arrangements of your resettlement in 1.