Ireland: new approach to rehabilitating inmates at Cork Prison

“The prison service has changed hugely in the last 10 years or so, and the case of locking prisoners up and throwing away the key is gone,” Ger Manley, governor of Cork Prison, told The Echo in an interview at the prison.

“Nowadays we’re looking at rehabilitating prisoners through our workshops, through MTU bringing in lecturers who will help give them the skills they need to get jobs on the outside.” Mr Manley has served in the role of governor for the last 12 months.

When Mr Manley spoke to The Echo, the prison was about to host its second pop-up restaurant, with meals prepared by prisoners who have graduated from the practical culinary skills course, a collaboration between the Irish Prison Service and the Munster Technological University (MTU), the Cork Education and Training Board (ETB) and the Irish Association for Social Inclusion Opportunities (IASIO).