Inmates line up with mayor to ‘go on the run’
Plan for weekly jog to be held at prisons throughout the country
MODEL prisoners could soon be encouraged to go ‘on the run’ each week at prisons around the country.
Following the successful introduction of the first official park run at Mountjoy Prison earlier this month, the Irish Prison Service (IPS) is now hoping to introduce the weekly run at all prisons.
Dublin Lord Mayor Nial Ring was among 11 dignitaries who accompanied 17 inmates of Ireland’s largest prison as they ran, walked or jogged around the grounds of the progression unit. The inmates completed seven-and-a-half laps around the unit, which is reserved for model prisoners who have successfully ‘progressed’ through the prison system.
“The day proved a great distraction from the normal humdrum of daily life, and at the ‘apres run’ the lads mingled with all of the visitors on a level playing field, discussing the event and chatting about what’s going on in the outside world,” run director Richard Bruce wrote in a blog on the event. “The times had not even been processed when the lads were already asking about who might be attending next week’s event.”
Mr Bruce said the scheme was intended to help “link the prisoners to the outside community”.
“After release they can approach their local park run with confidence and hopefully expand their social network,” he added.
The initiative was introduced by work training officers at the prison over the summer, in which prisoners and staff took part in unofficial runs around the prison yard.
Fitness
An IPS spokesman said: “Health and fitness is a very important part of prison life and the rehabilitation process.
“The Irish Prison Service provides opportunities for prisoners to improve their general health and fitness by providing gym facilities and work, and training staff who are employed as gym officers.
“The director general Michael Donnellan commended the prison staff for introducing this initiative, noting that helping prisoners to improve their physical health means prisoners are then better able to engage with the wider range of rehabilitative services that are available,” he said.
The IPS now hopes to make the Saturday morning run a weekly event, not only at Mountjoy, but across the prison service.
“It was very successful,” he said.
“It was an initiative of our prison staff and the intention is it will be a regular thing.”