Remarks at the Graduation of Red Cross Volunteers
Mountjoy Prison, 7th March 2013
Director General, Judge Reilly, Governor Whelan, Chairman of the Red Cross David O’Callaghan, Secretary General Donal Ford, programme graduates and invited guests:
Tá áthas orm a bheith anseo libh inniú i bPríosún Mhuinseo agus an deis a bheith agam tréaslú leis an naoinúr saorálaí déag atá ag baint amach gradam Clár na Croise Deirge agus buíochas a ghabháil leis na daoine ar fad a chabhraigh leo.
This is my first visit to Mountjoy as President. However, I have had the opportunity over the years to meet prisoners here when I visited regularly to read and discuss poetry and the arts. Since becoming President, I have visited Wheatfield (twice), Cloverhill and the Midlands Prison. On all occasions, I was greatly impressed and encouraged by the efforts, and indeed the achievements, of personal transformation that are being made by prisoners. I would like to acknowledge the support of the Prison Service and other relevant agencies for this very valuable work.
The Community Based Health and First Aid in Prisons Programme is a ground-breaking and very welcome initiative. We can all be proud thatIrelandis the first country in the world to introduce this programme through Irish Red Cross Volunteers operating in a prison setting. The Programme has become something of a flagship, of which the Irish Red Cross, the Irish Prison Service and City ofDublin Vocational Education Committeeare rightly proud. It has also been attracting more and more interest from abroad.
Many Red Cross National Societies have volunteers going into prisons but – apart fromIreland- none have volunteer prisoners working as peer educators in a prison environment. As President of the Irish Red Cross, as a former member of the McBride Commison on Prisons in the 1970s and as a sociologist who has always believed in the right to rehabilitation for prisoners, I am delighted to be present for this graduation event .
Margaret Mead, who was a renowned anthropologist, once said
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world – indeed, it is the only thing that ever has”.
This applies to all communities including prison communities where this project is being implemented. Each of today’s nineteen graduates have made the conscious decision to be part of this programme. In the process, they have not only taken a step forward in the transformation of their own lives but have also contributed significantly to the quality of life within Mountjoy Prison.
All of the prisoners in Mountjoy have their own individual story to tell – of their successes and failures; their achievements and mistakes; the hurts they have inflicted on others and that have been inflicted upon them. The really important point is that the partcipation of prisoners in this programme means that they are taking personal and collective responsibility for changing their own lives and, even more important, for facilitating change for the better in the wider community in this prison.
We all know that changing our behaviour is not easy. For all of us, the process of change is a challenging journey, but each journey begins with a single step. Your decision to partcipate in this programme was one such step; staying the course on the programe – sticking with it – was another; and graduating from the programme represents another important step on the journey to personal transformation and renewal.
I was very interested by some of the qualitative findings from the recent evaluations of the programme, as evidenced by the very honest and courageous statements of prisoners. In simple but compelling ways, they demonstrate the changes which can be brought about through becoming an Irish Red Cross volunteer. For example, one prisoner prior to becoming a volunteer, said of his goals:
“I had not much in regard to goals in the community.”
After becoming a volunteer he says:
“I am focused on forming a healthy environment within my community.”
Another prisoner, speaking of his beliefs and values before becoming a volunteer, says:
“I did not have any beliefs or values in life after going to prison”
After becoming a volunteer, he says:
“Now I believe I am helping people, because I value my time and see a better community in and outside prison”.
To live a life that is full and fulfilling requires that we have a positive purpose; that we respect ourselves, our time and our talents; and that this self-respect and sense of positive values lead us to engaging constructively with the wider community. That is what this Red Cross programme is all about – delivering a sense of personal purpose and encouraging community partcipation.
I know that all the graduates follow the Seven Fundamental Principles of the Red Cross. Having listened to the compelling presentations of the volunteers here in Mountjoy, I can see how these Fundamental Principles are indeed being lived by prisoners in the actions that they carry out, without the expectation of any reward.
The great news is that the wider impact in Mountjoy prison has been remarkable in a relatively short space of time. The various projects are being undertaken based on the volunteers’ assessment of the needs of their local community. A really encouraging aspect of this programme is how prison staff, outside agencies and prisoners are working together to bring about improvements to the health and hygiene of the prison. The programme is a great example of Action Learning where the collaborative project work is even more important than the book learning.
The volunteers have been telling us about a number of their projects undertaken in the name of the Irish Red Cross. These impressive undertakings have been brought about through determination, sheer hard work and selfless service. All the projects are very valuable and each of the graduates is to be commended for undertaking them. A number of them struck me as especially noteworthy:
The idea of a Christmas Activities Week is very simple and yet so vitally important given the acute sense of loneliness of being in prison at a time of the year so closely associated with home, family and friendship.
TB is a very worrying disease – even more so within a prison. Any projects that help to prevent or reduce the risk of this disease spreading are to be greatly welcomed. The role of the peer educator volunteer in assisting prisoners to get chest xrays or seek out healthcare staff is not only vital to the wellbeing of the individual but to the wider prison community.
Equally, the simplicity yet importance of proper hand washing in the prevention of illness and disease cannot be over estimated.In addition to these individual projects, a Training for Trainers workshop serves the purpose of strengthening the facilitation resources in each prison and ensures the long-term sustainability of the programme.
I wish to personally congratulate each and every one of the graduates in what you have achieved. You really have made a significant difference to your community – and how many of us can say that. I am delighted that your families are here today to share in this celebration of hope and transformation. I know they are very proud of your success in graduating and your positive contribution to the community in Mountjoy of which you are currently a part.
Before leaving Mountjoy, I will have an opprtunity to meet some prisoners who are partcipating in the Listener Programme here – another inspiring example of prisoners making a valuable contribution to serving the needs of their prison community. I was in Cloverhill Prison in December to celebrate ten years of the Listener Programme and was hugely impressed by the quality of the work being done.
In conclusion, I would like to also congratulate the three organisational partners involved in today’s graduation – the Irish Prison Service, the City of Dublin VEC and the Irish Red Cross who have had the vision and the belief in each of you graduates to embark upon the Community Based Health and First Aid Programme.
Guím gach rath ar an Chlár agus tá súil agam go leanfaidh sé air ag forbairt sna blianta amach róinn, ag saibhriú saol na saorálaithe agus ag dul i bhfeidhm go dearfach ar phobal Mhuinseo.
Thank you for your attention.