The number of ICPO clients imprisoned in England and Wales has nearly tripled
The Church is assisting three times as many Irish people in jail in Britain as four years ago.
The Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas (ICPO), a charitable organisation established by the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference, has seen a huge increase in Irish people imprisoned abroad looking for support since the recession drove up emigration levels in Ireland.
The number of ICPO clients imprisoned in England and Wales has nearly tripled from 387 in 2010 to 1,148 so far this year. The number of Irish prisoners being supported in Scotland has increased ten-fold and Irish prisoner numbers in Australia have increased five-fold in the same time period.
Fr Gerry McFlynn, the project manager of the ICPO in London, told The Irish Catholic that the Irish are the second largest ethnic group in the British prison system, just after the Polish. “About 40% are from a Traveller background and many have mental health problems or learning difficulties,” he said.
“Many are from a dysfunctional background or are trying to escape drugs problems, and they transfer their problems from Ireland to here, ending up in the wrong kind of company.”
Joanna Joyce, the Coordinator of the ICPO Maynooth office, said that historically the vast majority of their clients have always been based in Britain “because of past emigration trends and the close ties between Ireland and Britain”,. But there has been a sudden jump from four to 21 clients imprisoned in Australia since last year.
“With the increase in emigration to Australia, we have noticed an increase in the number of prisoners.
“It is an increase in the number of young emigrants getting into trouble, particularly young men, and alcohol would be a feature in a number of those offences,” she said.
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