How bad is Mountjoy?

Fiftyfilthy wrote:

Good luck with that, would need to rack up at least 150 charges before they will even let you into prison here

That & not paying the TV licence

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

I dont think I'm alone in saying I'd love a stint in prison. Pure curiosity, like. Are you locked up all day?

Nah. You're out more than you're in if you're on a normal regime i.e. not segregated.

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

Is there a library, are there games, Is the soap thing true?

There is a library. There are games such as chess and poker. Some inmates have video games in their cells, nothing beyond a PS2 is allowed.

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

Are phones and wifi allowed for prisoners?

Standard prisoners are allowed to use prison landlines for 6 minutes a day to declared and confirmed numbers. No wifi. There are contraband phones, most of which are capable of accessing the internet.

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

I am guessing that staff can have phones but must use 3 or 4g at their own expense.

Staff aren't allowed their phones within the prison. Can potentially be done for it if found in their possession.

Sleeper12 wrote: »

That & not paying the TV licence

Ah the TV license one Reality is that you're jailed for non payment of the fine. Also, you just get turned around at the gate more or less to be honest, you wouldn't even see another prisoner.

Mister Vain wrote: »

Mountjoy is nothing compared to the prisons in Venezuela.

Don't let the Irish Penal Reform Thrust and the Irish Council for Criminal Liberties hear you say that. They are making a nice living going onto the Irish media and telling everyone Irish prisons are the worst hell holes imaginable. Sort of like the pit Brice Wayne got thrown into in the Dark Knight Rises. And of course the only way to fix it is to donate to their charity so they can afford to go on the Last Word every couple of days to condemn the brutality of the medieval Irish justice system..

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

You sound like you know what you're talking about.

Is there alcohol? Are there really drugs? And what kind of money do prisoners get? Is it like pocket money, where you get to spend a limited amount of money in a sort of tuck shop?

Also, how many people are there to a cell? And could you be locked inside with just about anyone?

Sorry, just morbidly curious.

There is home made alcohol known as ''hooch''. It's made from fruit, sugar, and raising agents from the bakery. It's vile. Like a really crude wine smoothie. The guys from Eastern Europe make a home made vodka type drink called ''white lightening''. There's probably a minuscule amount of outside contraband in some places too.

Drugs are rampant. Anything you want. Weed to beat the band. Heroin is everywhere although thankfully needles are not used widely for it. It's smoked off foil. Cocaine, benzos and other stuff widely found too.

They get a weekly allowance known as ''grat'' that amounts to about 18 euro a week for workers. Non workers get a smaller amount, bout 2 euro a day or so. Family can leave money in for their loved ones too. No physical cash is on a prisoner's person though, all done through a moneyless system.

A friend of mine was in Mountjoy at the same time as Sean Quinn. He said they all used to play cards with Sean Quinn and they all had a great laugh with him.

When he speaks about his time there (2 years) the only negative thing he says is that he missed his family and friends. The ironic part is, his accommodation now is far worse than his accommodation in Mountjoy he said. I'd imagine if he went back in it wouldn't be a big deal to him. Very sad.

italodisco wrote: »

Been there, done that.

Not bad at all, keep the head down and ride it out.

did ta do a long stretch ? Few mates were in it now out and seem to be better men now not in trouble.

I'm out of there a few years now but did two sentences there. First was just a few months and the second was longer. I had heard horror stories about it but by the time I was there slopping out was gone and I had a single cell so that was much better than it used to be.

Omackeral wrote: »

The Joy isn't as bad as it was was 8 or 9 years ago. They all have their own cells now and they all have functioning toilets and running water etc. Before that, it was 2 and 3 people to a confined cell with no toilet facilities, it was a horrendous spot. Single cells with a basic tv, small kettle and a bit of head space is better than what came before it, for everyone.

Good to hear an Officer say that too because you just hear so many people give out about prisoners having it easy but it is better for everyone that conditions are decent enough.

You are locked up for the night at about 7.30pm before the night Officers come on and are in your cell till the next morning so its a long time if you didnt have a TV and it was only the basic channels. There's not much to do in your cell apart from watch TV, read a bit. smoke so having the TV is a big thing to keep everybody happy.

noubliezjamais wrote: »

I have a nephew the same age as me locked up in Canada for some forgery. It definitely "sucks" but for him he says the fears were overexaggerated. So long as you respected the inmates, didn't get involved in any gang things, and didn't say stupid sh*t, you would be "okay" (not get assaulted). Prison rape is also not as common.

But it seems like anglophone first world nations (particularly us, uk and ireland) have the worst prisons. Obviously prison isn't good anywhere you go but I can imagine that the prison brevik is in might be more comfortable than Arbour Hill or Mountjoy.

Is it true inmates care only about "crimes against the weak" (women, children, elderly involving sex crimes or murder). Also true that few people with college degrees are in there or just bs?

Wonder how many in AH would choose solitary or general if you went to the joy.

Yeah respect is a big thing. Don't go in thinking you are better or harder than anyone else and dont bull**** about who you are or you get found out. One of the first things I got asked was if I was fighting with anybody as they dont want more trouble on the landings and try to keep some people apart.

There was trouble and fights but not as much as people think and you can pretty much stay away from getting involved with all that. Most of the trouble is brought in from the outside or from running up debts or drugs or phones. Its much asier if you know people in there and I did as prison is no place for a loner but if you dont go pissing people off most people I think would get on all right. Depends what you are in for too I suppose.

Like what was said before I think it is all single cells in Mountjoy now so you sorta have solitary without having solitary. There are protection prisoners who are locked up 22 hours a day but I never had that but from what I know solitary can mess up your head.

For regular prisoners you get unlocked around 9 and go to work or training or education, then get dinner and locked back up to et that. then back to work or education in the afternoon and then back again to get tea and locked back up for that and then back out on the wing after that until after 7 and then locked up for the night. It was good to have time to yourself and you could just chill out and didnt have to keep up the "prison face" if you get me.

True there are not too many with college degrees but there are some. I had done a year in college but dropped out but had my Leaving but not sure if even half would have had that.

There are courses and training you can do if you want. I did because I thought it was easier to keep busy and you get a few extra euro for doing it too. Some lads though just dont do anything and just stay on the wing or go out to the yard. First time I was there for only a few months so didnt get to do much but the second time was there for longer I did more. It was the second sentence where I decided I wasnt going to come back again and was going to get help and change and thats what I did. i ended up going back to college adter I got out and just finished a 3 year degree course last Summer.

Jane_Dough wrote: »

A friend of mine was in Mountjoy at the same time as Sean Quinn. He said they all used to play cards with Sean Quinn and they all had a great laugh with him.

When he speaks about his time there (2 years) the only negative thing he says is that he missed his family and friends. The ironic part is, his accommodation now is far worse than his accommodation in Mountjoy he said. I'd imagine if he went back in it wouldn't be a big deal to him. Very sad.

Think he was in the Training Unit.

Missing family and friends is the worst for everybody especially for lads with kids. Sometimes you just feel the world is going on and you are not part of it. visits can be hard too. You get an hour of normal life but then its back to your cell. Christmas is real hard and then other times like birthdays, family events and all that. I was lucky that when i got released I had my family to go back to and a place to live but not everybody has that and plenty are back in trouble within a few weeks or maybe sooner