Quakers have a long history of concern for people in prisons and their families – right back to the era of Elizabeth Fry. Inspired by the work of Ulster Quakers at the Maze prison in Northern Ireland, a group of Dublin Quakers, partly with a gentle push from then President Mary Robinson, decided that much more must be done to care for the families visiting prisoners in Mountjoy – Dublin’s Victorian-era prison. The only waiting area at that time was a stinking little wooden shack on the entrance road. Luckily, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul had the same concern at the same time, and we decided to form a joint committee called the Prison Visitors Centres Committee. 

The early work involved a sympathetic ear and serving cups of tea and biscuits in a caravan parked near the entrance gate. Later, it became clear that pressure on the Department of Justice and the Irish Prison Service (IPS) might help us to achieve our aims, and in this, we have been wonderfully successful. A new visitor centre for Mountjoy was built as part of the new women’s prison, and new visitor centres were planned and built at both Cloverhill and Portlaoise. A few years ago, a third visitor centre was built for Wheatfield Prison after long negotiations. The Irish Prison Service agreed to finance management and staff at the centres, and all the necessary consumables, like tea, coffee, etc, come from prison supplies. 

The result is a warm, friendly atmosphere for families visiting prisoners and a well-equipped and staffed play area for the children. Even if the staff comprises paid professionals, the friendly ear is still right there. The Committee consists of three members each from the Dublin Quaker Service Committee and Saint Vincent de Paul, and representatives from IPS Care and Rehabilitation.  

The work is ongoing, as careful attention and care need to be given to the management of these centres and the relationship with the Irish Prison Service. It is important to ensure that family and friends of people who are incarcerated can avail of the best conditions to visit their loved ones. This not only provides a friendly and relatively stress-free environment for the families but also has a profound impact on those who are incarcerated, reassuring them that their loved ones are treated with respect and care. 

Dublin Quaker Service Committee, last updated July 2024

This work was supported for many years by Jonathan Pim and Helen Haughton, now deceased.