Locked-up TV: €100,000 spent on Sky and Netflix for prisoners
THE Irish Prison Service (IPS) spent almost €100,000 last year to make sure inmates were on top of the latest plot twists in Netflix’s hit drama Bridgerton and in the race for the Premier League title on Sky Sports.
New figures released by the IPS in response to a Freedom of Information request show it spent €96,479 on Sky and Netflix subscriptions and installation costs last year.
A charge is levied on prisoners to cover the cost of providing TV services in their cells.
Netflix was provided to prisoners last year after increased restrictions were introduced due to the Covid-19 pandemic which saw their visits suspended and having to spend more time in their cells.
While there is no shortage of prison-based drama on Netflix to keep the prisoners entertained, including shows such as Orange is the New Black or Inside the World’s Toughest Prisons, they cannot choose what to watch on their cell TVs as the choice is made by management.
The IPS spent €86,294 on Sky and multi-channel packages, a 15pc increase on the €74,834 spend on Sky and multi-channel packages for the prison network in 2019.
According to the FOI unit “all prisoners have some access to digital TV. Digital TV is provided to prisoners in recreational areas and in their cells.”
The IPS also spent €1,270 on Netflix subscription charges last year, on top of the €8,915 cost to install the infrastructure for Netflix across 12 prisons.
It also spent €293,754 on the purchase of 2,117 TVs in 2020.
A spokeswoman for the IPS said: “Prisoners serving sentences are very much isolated from society and access to televisions, radios and newspapers are important media sources to keep prisoners connected with society and their communities especially during the current pandemic.
“It is important to note that following the introduction of TVs, the incidents of selfharm and suicide dramatically dropped in our prisons.”
She added that “prisons generally maintain a stock of TVs to meet demand as it arises”.
“TVs installed in over 2,500 prison cells suffer from extensive wear and tear representing the usage of same with approximately 9,000 committals to prisons last year as well as suffering damage from time to time.
“When there is deliberate damage to a TV by a prisoner, the prisoner may be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the prison rules and liable to contribute towards the cost of repairs. The unit cost of a TV in a prison cell is approximately €130.”