The biggest problem facing long-term inmates when they return to society is how life on the outside has “moved on without them”, the governor of one of Ireland’s two open prisons has said.
Joseph Donohue has been governor of Shelton Abbey Centre in Arklow, Co Wicklow, for the past seven years.
The converted two-story country house, set in the heart of the gardens of Wicklow, has housed some of the country’s most infamous prisoners, including convicted murderers Malcolm McArthur and Brian Meehan.
The low-security centre currently has 111 male prisoners, including 26 life-sentence prisoners.
A ‘lifer’ can only be released if the minister for justice signs off on it, and even then the prisoner remains on temporary release for the rest of their life — and can be returned to jail.
“There is no commonality among them,” Mr Donohue said. “They can be in for anything except sex crimes, anything to do with children or arsonists.
