A Catholic bishop has said that “addiction is not a crime” as he appealed to policymakers to pay attention to the medical and psychological needs of prisoners doing time for crimes linked to drug addiction.
In a statement for Prisoners Sunday, Dr Martin Hayes, the Liaison Bishop to the Irish Prison Service, criticised Irish prisons for being “devoid of humanity” and he highlighted that many prisoners struggle with loneliness.
Referring to the work of recently retired prison chaplain, Sr Imelda Wickham, the Bishop of Kilmore said she had stressed that it is not just those who are incarcerated that serve the sentence, but their families bear a cost too.
