Dochas Centre

AryaStark

Hi,

I am not sure which forum to post this in so maybe it can be moved if this is not right.

I have to go into the Dochas Centre (female prison Dublin) on Monday for non payments of fines. I wont be able to get the money together so just have to go ahead. It is then 60 days. I am wondering does anybody knows how this goes or what I should expect. I am dreading it but there is nothing I can do to change it so now I just want to make sure I am prepared... I was told to bring clothes and money but that is it...

Any advice would be great, Thanks.

AryaStark wrote: »

Hi,

I am not sure which forum to post this in so maybe it can be moved if this is not right.

I have to go into the Dochas Centre (female prison Dublin) on Monday for non payments of fines. I wont be able to get the money together so just have to go ahead. It is then 60 days. I am wondering does anybody knows how this goes or what I should expect. I am dreading it but there is nothing I can do to change it so now I just want to make sure I am prepared... I was told to bring clothes and money but that is it...

Any advice would be great, Thanks.

No advice but I'd be surprised if you are there even a week.

Zambia

Sasha Ripe Meatball wrote: »

No advice but I'd be surprised if you are there even a week.

Till after lunch?

Op please let us know how you got on.

Try ringing the centre to see what they advise

kub

OP sorry about your difficulties, what a bloody country.

AryaStark

Zambia wrote: »

Till after lunch?

Op please let us know how you got on.

Try ringing the centre to see what they advise

I never thought of ringing the actual centre... Its a great idea, thanks.

Ill update soon as I can!

foreign wrote: »

No advice but I'd be surprised if you are there even a week.

A week would surprise me, to be honest. I'd say less than that.

Hope OP keeps us updated.

Truckermal

Zambia wrote: »

Till after lunch?

Op please let us know how you got on.

Try ringing the centre to see what they advise

I'd say your spot on there allright, this country is a fcukin joke.

Jawgap

Truckermal wrote: »

I'd say your spot on there allright, this country is a fcukin joke.

I agree - sending someone to prison for not paying a fine is positively Victorian!

Hope you got on ok OP.

Jawgap wrote: »

I agree - sending someone to prison for not paying a fine is positively Victorian!.

You are right. Let's live in a society with no consequences for not accepting a punishment.

Jawgap

foreign wrote: »

You are right. Let's live in a society with no consequences for not accepting a punishment.

Prison isn't the only punishment. Plus is it 'good' to live in a society where the punishment handed down be the judiciary cannot be implemented by the executive? Wherein lies the logic of that?

If someone is fined and they can't / won't pay why not provide opportunities for them to work it off (at a rate equivalent to the minimum wage) doing something socially useful?

Anyway, fines are regressive - they disproportionately impact lower income groups meaning the punishment is not equivalent or related to the original offence.

Strumms

foreign wrote: »

You are right. Let's live in a society with no consequences for not accepting a punishment.

constructive much ? who is suggesting that ? You surmise a hell of a lot considering you have no idea of the situation the OP finds themselves in. A ridiculous rush to judgment although not unsurprising given the nature of many of your posts.

I think what pisses people off is the amount of BS we hear about not enough prison places for people and we have violent and repeat offenders with multiple convictions roaming the streets who are an ever present danger to the public yet we have people in jail for non payment of fines.

Positively Victorian, unjust and an offence to the general public at large that these people are allowed roam without censure while decent people who have fallen on hard times and "cant pay" as has been stated by the OP are jailed. There should be an alternative in my view.

Jawgap wrote: »

Prison isn't the only punishment. Plus is it 'good' to live in a society where the punishment handed down be the judiciary cannot be implemented by the executive? Wherein lies the logic of that?

If someone is fined and they can't / won't pay why not provide opportunities for them to work it off (at a rate equivalent to the minimum wage) doing something socially useful?

Anyway, fines are regressive - they disproportionately impact lower income groups meaning the punishment is not equivalent or related to the original offence.

People don't seem to have a problem with junkies and criminals getting put in jail. But if it's someone not paying their TV licence then it's somehow wrong.

And I've yet to see any of these people who can't afford to pay not having one or more of the following. Sky/upc, ability to buy drugs/smokes/alcohol. Driving cars. Buying take aways doing the lotto, buying scratch cards. Having the latest smartphones. Buying designer clothing.

Now, there are obviously some who really are in a dire situation and they should be taken into account but it's not as bad as made out.

Jawgap

I have no problem with junkies being made to work for their methadone (and losing a lot of their medical & sw benefits) and criminals being thrown in jail (and made serve a greater proportion of their sentences - the more violence used, the greater proportion that should have to be serve).

However, the notion of a 'TV Licence' is outmoded - it's just another household tax and they should fold it into that tax and deal with it that way.

Also fines in this country are rarely, if ever properly linked to income - the same flat amount is handed down whether you earn €1m or are on welfare - therefore, the same fine is valued differently be individuals (€500 to someone on a million euro a year is nothing compared to the same fine imposed to someone on the minimum wage).

That's why forcing people to give of their time is fairer and more equitable.

AryaStark

Sorry it has taken me so long to get back onto Boards and let you all know how I got on!

I only had to spend a day in the Dochas center… although that was definitely enough for me. It is not a nice experience at all and I found it an eye opener. I met a lot of other girls during the days and some of the stories are sad. The center itself is ok and the staff were nice enough.

I made arrangements with the Garda to go into the station at 9am to be brought to the Dochas Center. when I got there I was brought into the station and arrested officially and then they go through the warrant to make sure you understand. They then put me in a cell until we were ready to leave. The cell is f*cking horrible. There is a toilet in the floor and this was not flushed properly and there was piss all on the floor. There was spit on the walls and the "bed" is this plastic blue mattress with an old looking blanked and there was blood and urine stains at the end of the bed! I stood in the middle of the cell trying not to breath!!!
I was brought to the prison with another girl (who had no tv license and didn't pay the fine) in a "paddy wagon"!!! I had never seen the inside of one of these and I was shocked. You are put in a cage at the back of the van. It is made of metal and there are no seat-belts or handles to hold onto … we had to drive for almost two hours to get there and we were sliding around the back of the van. The other girl with me also smoked and was smoking away.
When we got to the center we were handed over by the guards to a prison warden and she gave the Garda a receipt for us! You are then patted down and have to go through a metal detector and they take anything you have and keep it for you. We were brought to a really small room where there were another two girls and locked in by a prison guard. About half an hour later we were called out individually and processed. They measure your height, weight and take your photograph. They also ask why you didn't pay the fine etc… I explained how I had found it hard to save the total amount but that I have saved 450. They took the 450 as payment towards the fine and said that they would send the paperwork through and we would see. We had arrived at the prison at about 12 and this was around 1.30 or so. At about 2 they came and took us out of the little room and moved us into another waiting room that had about another 10 girls waiting. Some had come from court and were waiting to see if they could get bail and some were on fines. I have to say that I found it very intimidating .. there was a heroin addict that was scratching and coming down and a couple of really rough inner city girls who had been fighting and then a couple of travelers… the mood was very tense. The room were you are locked into is small and has only a tiny window up at the top of the wall that is not open. Most of the girls were smoking and my eyes were stinging from the smoke (not that I was going to complain) I was suppressed that you are allowed to smoke.. there are no ash trays so everybody just puts the butts out on the floor. They brought in lunch and it was some sort of pie and peas. I am not sure what was even meant to be in the pie (I didn't eat any), I am a fussy eater but this smelled disgusting… You also get a carton of low fat milk to drink! At about 6 pm a couple of us were called out of the room and told that we were being given temporary release and could go. You get a TR sheet with your picture on it and your prisoner number and details. Mine for 14 days and you have to carry the form with you at all times and you are not allowed into licensed premises and have to keep the peace. Once I don't get into any trouble in that time then its over for me!

Overall it may not sound too bad but its not something I want to repeat!!!

DirtyLeeds14

Thanks for the post AryaStark, interesting!

Ridiculous that you had to go there weather it be for a day or not over something so trivial, served time in prison myself and can be a real eye opener if you weren't brought up in that type of environment.

hatrickpatrick

Sasha Ripe Meatball wrote: »

People don't seem to have a problem with junkies and criminals getting put in jail. But if it's someone not paying their TV licence then it's somehow wrong.

People who commit offenses which actually harm other human beings deliberately belong in prison. Until we have enough prison places to house all of those people, imprisoning people for victimless crimes is a joke.

Zambia

That's quite the waste of time.

Surely there must someone in government that has to see the stupidity in all of this. It's been going on for years.

Leo Demidov

Shatter was in the middle of sorting out the whole fines thing, but he got sidetracked. Oh well.

It is, i believe, a work still very much in progress. Sooner the better, ridiculous situation sending people to prison on fines when they could just as easily have their dole or salary deducted.

Zambia

The sheriffs here collect fines they clamp cars, suspend licences, claim goods in the end when all other options are exhausted they issue warrants to imprison.

They also accept payment deals the op could have easily avoided this trip if allowed partial pay.

galwayredgirl

AryaStark wrote: »

Hi,

I am not sure which forum to post this in so maybe it can be moved if this is not right.

I have to go into the Dochas Centre (female prison Dublin) on Monday for non payments of fines. I wont be able to get the money together so just have to go ahead. It is then 60 days. I am wondering does anybody knows how this goes or what I should expect. I am dreading it but there is nothing I can do to change it so now I just want to make sure I am prepared... I was told to bring clothes and money but that is it...

Any advice would be great, Thanks.

Isn't that the place where some of the inmates were being entrepreneurial with the chat lines and mobile phone pics - Were you given any specifics on the "clothes" to bring?

AryaStark

galwayredgirl wrote: »

Isn't that the place where some of the inmates were being entrepreneurial with the chat lines and mobile phone pics - Were you given any specifics on the "clothes" to bring?

No guidelines ... just three outfits is all you are allowed.