PORTLAOISE PRISON PROTEST ESCALATES

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IRISH FREEDOM COMMITTEE NEWSLIST – ACTION REQUEST
http://www.irishfreedomcommittee.net 

DIRTY PROTEST AT PORTLAOISE – Letters Needed

Monday, April 27, 2009 

A no wash/dirty protest at Portlaoise Jail, commenced on April 15 by two POWs, has escalated drastically with more POWs now joining.  As of today Monday April 28, ALL POWs on E3 landing at Portlaoise are now on the protest over the revocation of temporary release (TR) and compassionate release (CR) programs.

Efforts to avert this protest through talks with the Irish Prisons Service have met with no resolution.  Over the weekend the Officer Commanding of the republican POWs was told the IPS returned from discussions empty-handed, as yet another POW was denied a temporary release.

Please help support the reasonable and humane demands of the Republican prisoners.  In the prisoners’ own words,

“The Irish Prison Service (IPS) states in its mission statement that one of its goals is to try to maintain relationships between prisoners and their families. This is one of the reasons for it's Temporary Release (TR) programme. When a prisoner is released his chances of settling back into normal family relationships are improved. The programme was also to help prisoners to seek housing accommodation and social welfare payments and help further their education upon release.

 

The process for Political prisoners has always been compassionate on TR. We have always obeyed the rules set out surrounding releases of this nature. We have always maintained the integrity of being Republican prisoners by returning on time and there has never been an issue with this. We recognise the importance of these releases on the grounds that if we are to maintain family ties important events must be attended. In the past the IPS has allowed Republican prisoners to attend funerals of family and loved ones. It has also allowed for important religious events such as Christenings, First Holy Communions and Confirmations.

 

It has recently stopped all of this without any explanation being given. Examples of this include denials of applications to attend children’s First Holy Communions and funerals of close Relatives. One application was submitted when a Republican prisoner’s only aunt passed away and the application came back denied after the funeral had already taken place. Another application was denied for a prisoner to attend the funeral of his twin’s mother and denied again for the twins Confirmation eight months after the death of their mother.

 

We the Republican prisoners of E3 landing will not tolerate this blatant discrimination and unjust treatment. It is only following recenet events in the six counties that this unfair treatment of our prisoners has intensified. We believe it is directly related and until the IPS and the Governor of Portlaoise Prison are willing to stop this harassment and mistreatment of all Republican prisoners we will commence protest. We will not be used as leverage for the British and Free State governments.

 

WE WILL NOT BE BROKEN.”  (STATEMENT Portlaoise Gaol, April 17, 2009).

 

STEPS TO TAKE

1. PRINT OUR SAMPLE LETTER

2. SIGN LETTER – Must have signature!

3. FAX LETTER to POL’s LAWYER

4. FAX LETTER TO ELECTED OFFICIALS

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