Posted on 09/11/2006 12:59:56 PM PDT by Irish_Thatcherite
Sinn Fein accuse McDowell of 'posing' as tough on crime
Sinn Féin spokesperson Aengus O Snodaigh TD today accused Minister for Justice Michael McDowell of "headline grabbing" and posing by adopting a tough stance on crime.
In his statement Mr O Snodaigh supported suggestions that overcrowding at Mountjoy contributed to the death of Gary Douch in July adding: "More prisons and bigger prisons is not the answer."
The Dublin south-central TD said: “After the tragic death of Gary Douch in Mountjoy Prison at the end of July, the Irish Prison Service rejected suggestions that Mountjoy was overcrowded, or that overcrowding had contributed to Mr Douch’s death.
"The Prison Officers Association has confirmed numerous other sources in its statement saying that Mountjoy is more overcrowded than it has been in years."
“Almost 60% of prison sentences in this state are for six months or less costing between €40,000 to €100,000 per prisoner for the period. The equivalent community service order, shown to have a positive impact on re-offending rates, for that period would cost approximately €1,500.
"Provision of proper educational and recreational facilities for prisoners, sorely missing in the Irish prison system, has also been shown to have a demonstrable negative impact on recidivism.
“More prisons and bigger prisons is not the answer regardless of whether it grabs the headline, or allows the Minister to pose as tough on crime.
"Proper resourcing of the probation and welfare service, moving prisoners with mental illnesses and disabilities into mental health treatment centres and proper educational facilities to combat recidivism constitutes an evidence-based approach to reducing prison numbers, and crime," said Mr O Snodaigh.
The Unionist marchers were marching in support of Loyalist terrorists who murder innocent people just as the IRA terrorists murder innocent people.
(2) If it were simply a march by innocent Unionist victims of IRA violence it would be profoundly different.
Ok, a bit hasty on my part. Just felt sorry for the poor devil thats all.
Just to show where I am, I believe Gerry Adams to be a criminal- uncharged for his worst crimes.
If he were a hard man up for murder then the papers wouldn't make reference to how weak a man he was.
If he was a petty offender up for theft or burglary, the papers would have mentioned this straightaway: "How could a man up for a nonviolent crime like burglary or drugs possession be locked up with a violent psychopath."
So the only answer is that he assaulted either a woman or a child sexually.
If that is the case, he was gagging for the treatment he got I don't feel the slightest remorse for him.
An important question and one that I should have asked myself first. I did some frantic Google work following your query. I hit over 12 web-sites. Again and again there was no mention of any thing as to his crime.
Finally I got IRISH EMMIGRANT ON LINE. It then stated, he was "serving three years for assault". Still no definition though. I fear you are likely right and appalling though it is, a terrible justice came to him.
Still hurts to think of the sordid mess in that prison though.
Makes the US military system of prisons, for terrorists look like a sunday school treat, I must say.
.IRISH VOICE. Contributor Paddy Clancy.
To use roughly what Paddy gives the reader. Puny heroin addict Gary Douch 21 yrs old.5ft 6 ins, killed by Stephen Egan 23 yrs 6ft 2in, 220 1bs.
Egan was terribly abused as a child by his mother's boyfriend. The boyfriend was a heroin addict. Egan was considered mentally ill. He had comitted violent crimes.
The descriptions of Mount Joy are disturbing. Again, the only positive I can draw from it, is to think that the human rights johnnies, who rail against American dententions, should look at Mount Joy.
The Love Ulster march consisted of victims of terrorist violence.
Unionist marchers were marching in support of Loyalist terrorists who murder innocent people just as the IRA terrorists murder innocent people.
No, they weren't - they were marching against terrorist violence.
(2) If it were simply a march by innocent Unionist victims of IRA violence it would be profoundly different.
But they ARE just victims of IRA violence - I'm surprised at you, for falling for that Sinn Fein propaganda!
That's ok, I know what you mean.
You yourself posted the following above "Love Ulster":
It is composed of a number of victims' organisations, such as Families Acting for Innocent Relatives (FAIR), Women Raising Unionist Concerns, the Orange Order and other loyalist fraternities and activists."
The Orange Order is to the UDA what Sinn Fein is to the IRA.
The Orange Order are apologists for loyalist terrorism.
If this was a group that was composed solely of IRA victims and their supporters, a group that denounced terrorism of all kinds, that would be quite different.
The victims of the IRA need a voice - but associating that voice with the Orange Order does them no good.
Setting aside the fact that prisons should be extrmely uncomfortable places to be, a lot of the disorder in the prison probably stems from rules that restrain guards from enforcing systematic discipline.
Guards are less likely to passively allow inmates to discipline other inmates when they are allowed to actively discipline inmates by altering the parameters of their regime.
Blowing the Brits up for many years.
(New IRA Ad)
Actually, the Orange Order is continuously distancing itself from the loyalist terror groups - they have enough on their plate without the Loyalists getting involved.
The political wings of the Loyalist terror groups are political parties, like their Sinn Fein/IRA counterparts - Progressive Unionist Party/UVF, Ulster Democratic Party/UFF.
That sums it up!!
The Orange Order has longstanding links with the UDA and the UDA/UDP/UPRG is, of course, the political wing of the UFF terrorist organization.
The Orange Order may be "distancing" itself from the terrorists officially - but it has plenty of terrorist supporters in its ranks.
It's a big organisation - thus it is too mainstream to be heavily infiltrated by loyalists.
But, I will admit there are some members that are involved in terrorism.
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