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This is what a cell in Mountjoy Prison looks like

Have a look inside.

TheJournal.ie / YouTube

WE HAVE BEEN taking a look inside the walls of Mountjoy Prison over the past week, speaking to prison officers about their role in the institution.

TheJournal.ie was also given a quick look inside a prisoner’s cell, with their permission.

This is a standard cell which any class of prisoner could be placed in.

It consists of a small desk and chair, a bed, heating, a simple TV, a noticeboard, and in-cell sanitation – ‘slopping out’ came to an end in Mountjoy in 2013.

Take a look at the video above for a quick tour.

Additional reporting by Garreth MacNamee.

Life as a prison officer in Mountjoy: ‘When something is about to happen, you just feel it in the air’ >

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    Mute Pádraic
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    Feb 17th 2018, 6:35 PM

    Seen worse on daft for €1200 a month

    1100
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    Mute Free speech has to return here
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    Feb 17th 2018, 6:43 PM

    No bankers or corrupt politicians in the cells yet?

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    Mute Kerry Blake
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    Feb 17th 2018, 7:44 PM

    @Free speech has to return here: Never will be……

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    Mute Jengis O'Can
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    Feb 17th 2018, 7:56 PM

    @Free speech has to return here: Like the Saudis did, they’d be locked up in a top class hotel.

    16
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    Mute Jho Harris
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    Feb 18th 2018, 11:40 AM

    @Pádraic: IO have never seen the inside of a cell nor do I spend 23 hours a day locked up simply because I obey the law. I don’t have an inclination to steal anything I want, I don’t see vulnerable old people as targets so I am free to come and go whenever I want to but you have to live on the right side of the law. It is a simple choice. I cannot figure out why this government and the bleeding hearts allow anyone to refuse the given meals based on their religious beliefs; if they were committed to a religious way of life they would not be in prison unless they hold sharia as their standard.

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    Mute Niamh White
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    Feb 17th 2018, 6:45 PM

    Better than most student accommodation

    416
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    Mute FrustratedASDMum
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    Feb 17th 2018, 6:50 PM

    @Niamh White: Not to mention the free health care and education.

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    Mute Joseph Blocks
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    Feb 17th 2018, 9:30 PM

    @FrustratedASDMum: Don’t forget the great dental plan too! All the heroin addicts get their teeth done for free in the dental hospital it the back of Trinity. See the armoured vans pull up every week with the happy inmates.

    120
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    Mute Siobhán Ni Mhurchú
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    Feb 17th 2018, 6:41 PM

    Looks fairly decent ..

    142
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    Mute Free speech has to return here
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    Feb 17th 2018, 6:52 PM

    @Siobhán Ni Mhurchú: There was literally not a lot to piss in til 2013 in all cells

    27
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    Mute Johnny Mason
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    Feb 17th 2018, 6:36 PM

    Never had it so good

    143
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    Mute Free speech has to return here
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    Feb 17th 2018, 6:52 PM

    @Johnny Mason: Would you survive there?

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    Mute Paddy
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    Feb 17th 2018, 7:59 PM

    @Free speech has to return here: prison shouldn’t be a place of comfort. People (ie criminals ) should fear going to these places! As it stands it’s an all inclusive holiday!

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    Mute john doe
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    Feb 17th 2018, 9:03 PM

    @paddy
    I would dread the thoughts of ending up there. In this day and age having a tv does not make it any more luxury than having access to books 50 years ago.

    If it’s so attractive don’t pay your tv licence or drop into your local courthouse and shout abuse at the judge and you can get yourself a stay there.

    28
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    Mute Paddy
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    Feb 17th 2018, 10:29 PM

    @john doe: you miss the point! Why the fk would I think It’s attractive my god what an imbecilic comment. It’s not unattractive for the vast majority of criminals out there! They don’t fear going in side. People that don’t break the law needn’t be worried about that place and the same goes for the ones who do!

    24
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    Mute Liamnolan
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    Feb 18th 2018, 9:37 AM

    Behave yourself and you wouldnt have to go there..

    3
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    Mute John Dman
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    Feb 17th 2018, 6:42 PM

    I’ll wait for the day I see a banker in one of them!

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    Mute Free speech has to return here
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    Feb 17th 2018, 6:59 PM

    @John Dman: Millions wasted on failed trials on top of 32 Billion that individual cost us.

    51
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    Mute Liam Dwyer
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    Feb 17th 2018, 11:14 PM

    @John Dman: Check out Iceland…apparently they’ve over 20!

    16
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    Mute Frank McGlynn
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    Feb 17th 2018, 8:14 PM

    That’s the men’s prison. How about showing the Dochas Holiday camp where the women are ‘imprisoned’.

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    Mute Untriggered Non-Snowflake
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    Feb 17th 2018, 8:54 PM

    @Frank McGlynn: In the woman’s “prison”, women are giving birth by the truck load. The babies get to live in the “prison” with the mothers.

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    Mute 6Shangan
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    Feb 18th 2018, 12:09 AM

    @Untriggered Non-Snowflake: for 12 months then baby has to leave the prison

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    Mute Phil Swan
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    Feb 17th 2018, 8:51 PM

    All them TV licences paid yeah? What a bloody joke! Every cell has a tele while mugs paying tax may or may not have that luxury after they pay 1500 a month for a box the same size in Dublin CC on top of taxes, bills and a feckin TV licence. We ought to be ashamed when it’s OK to publish a video like that as if its a good thing.

    A thug beats someone up and gets 6 months. They loose their freedom for 6 months but loose nothing else by the looks of it and the video didn’t get to the recreational areas. The victim on the other hand also looses their freedom but for them it’s indefinite because in no time at all the thug who did it is back out to haunt them.

    So what’s the deterrent to crime when prison is a 3* hotel?

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    Mute Untriggered Non-Snowflake
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    Feb 17th 2018, 9:04 PM

    @Phil Swan: Six months for a serious assault?? Lucky if they get a suspended one for that…Or maybe bring a couple of grand to court and get community service or a fine…

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    Mute John Hartigan
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    Feb 17th 2018, 7:02 PM

    Political propaganda by the journal (look what happens when u disobay us)

    45
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    Mute Paddy
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    Feb 17th 2018, 8:00 PM

    @John Hartigan: break the law?

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    Mute Untriggered Non-Snowflake
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    Feb 17th 2018, 8:55 PM

    A liberal’s paradise: Now you can begin to understand the high levels of recidivism…

    43
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    Mute john doe
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    Feb 17th 2018, 9:07 PM

    @untriggered
    What would you like to see, bare stone walls and a good rat infestation?
    It would be an afwul place to be. I bet those tvs only have saorview, stuck watching just rte and tv3!! Now thats punishment :-D

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    Mute Untriggered Non-Snowflake
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    Feb 17th 2018, 9:12 PM

    @john doe: Ah stop…The IPRT would be up in arms if they didn’t have BBC and Sky in the cells…Human rights and all that…

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    Mute SquideyeMagpie
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    Feb 17th 2018, 10:58 PM

    @Untriggered Non-Snowflake: Recidivism is down from 55% to under 45 in the last 10 yrs. Just happens to coincide with a more humane regime and more joined up thinking in our prisons. If you brutalised people while in prison the they will not emerge better people. Look at the international examples-including SA and the north. But the research won’t support ur narrow minded narrative. Ignoramus.

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    Mute Untriggered Non-Snowflake
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    Feb 17th 2018, 11:39 PM

    @SquideyeMagpie:

    Point 1: If you reread my initial post, you will see that I was talking about LEVELS of recidivism, not growth rates. My point stands. A recidivism level of 45% is high. Do you not think so?

    Point 2: You seem to have a major issue with “cause and effect” or “correlation vs causation”. While a drop in the rate from 55% to 45% may be correlated with a more humane regime, you have stated no evidence to show it is an effect of a more humane regime.

    Point 3: Again with “cause and effect”…Is it possible that a lower level of Gardai during this period is a cause of lower recorded levels of re-offending by the CSO during this period? Is it possible that lower levels of Gardai actually cause lower levels of recorded crime? And higher levels of Gardai cause higher levels of recorded crime? Or does higher crime cause higher numbers of Gardai? And lower levels of crime cause lower numbers of Gardai?

    Have a nice evening reading your research into these…

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    Mute Pablo
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    Feb 18th 2018, 8:45 AM

    @SquideyeMagpie: I’m surprised the level isn’t 0 …. Sure how many crimes do U need to do to get sent away these days? I hate to think what the real level is

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    Mute Mark Walsh
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    Feb 18th 2018, 1:38 PM

    @john doe:
    Yes

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    Mute Myk_Oval_Balls_nRyt
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    Feb 17th 2018, 9:45 PM

    TV & Radio, perfect for distracting the mind from reflecting on being a piece of shxt. Good to know

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    Mute Arron
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    Feb 17th 2018, 9:32 PM

    Tv, chemical handling in the cell, is it a store room, ventilation is superb. And serious light, horrible kip but it’s free bed and board better than the rain and cold.

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    Mute Paddy Lynn
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    Feb 17th 2018, 6:35 PM

    No noise from the big red button

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    Mute Graeme Murphy
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    Feb 17th 2018, 11:29 PM

    Is this a Daft advert?

    23
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    Mute Σ ΛΛ ΛΛ Θ
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    Feb 18th 2018, 7:39 AM

    Sharing a cell with a load of cleaning products, can that be safe.

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    Mute Joe oshaughnessy
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    Feb 17th 2018, 11:00 PM

    Ok the inmates have TV and whatever but whichever way you look at it…..it’s still imprisonment and I’d say I’m right in thinking that none of us would like to be in there.

    I know some people think inmates have a great life and they’re every need is catered for inside while us tax payers foot the bill.

    I know I’d rather pay a bit of tax and foot that bill than be locked up in a cell.

    I guess the Ultimate question here is. What price freedom.

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    Mute Dave Doyle
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    Feb 17th 2018, 7:49 PM

    The claustrophobia would kill me.

    21
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    Mute Siobhán Ni Mhurchú
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    Feb 17th 2018, 7:58 PM

    @Dave Doyle: it’s not that bad..I’d say a box room in a three bed house is smaller..

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    Mute Paddy
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    Feb 17th 2018, 8:00 PM

    @Dave Doyle: one of the lags would do ya first.

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    Mute P.J. Nolan
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    Feb 17th 2018, 8:01 PM

    @Siobhán Ni Mhurchú:
    You are right, I have seen a few of them smaller

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    Mute Tony Dowling
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    Feb 17th 2018, 8:32 PM

    @Siobhán Ni Mhurchú: yes but you are not locked in a box room most if the day.

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    Mute Siobhán Ni Mhurchú
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    Feb 17th 2018, 8:47 PM

    @Tony Dowling: would you rather them have a suite ?

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    Mute Dave Doyle
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    Feb 17th 2018, 10:31 PM

    @Siobhán Ni Mhurchú: Once that big heavy door was slammed shut ……

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    Mute Siobhán Ni Mhurchú
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    Feb 17th 2018, 10:35 PM

    @Dave Doyle: I get that too..

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    Mute Shane Cormican
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    Feb 18th 2018, 12:35 AM

    A simple tv

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