Prison Service Questions
When you, or someone you know, get involved in the criminal justice system, you can have a lot of questions and not be sure where to get information. Tosú is a charity with teams in prison and in the community. As a national organisation, we have worked closely with the prison service and probation for the last 25 years. We often get questions about how we help people going through prison, or probation, or other court sanctions.
You Know Someone in Prison
The Irish Prison Service has a lot of information on their website about how prisons work. Their ‘visit a prison’ section gives locations and visiting times for prisons across the country. They have also put together a virtual prison tour which allows you to observe the process of entering prison and to have a virtual visit of the facilities that are available at the Midlands Prison – these are similar to a lot of closed prisons around Ireland.
What Services Does Tosú Run in Prison?
Resettlement Service
This service works with clients in prison before their release to ensure that they have access to essential services in the community. This includes information about accommodation, securing medical cards and signposting clients to Intreo Centre, so that they can apply for their social welfare payment.
Community Support
This is an early release programme for clients serving between 3–18 months. The Irish Prison Service puts you forward for the Community Support Scheme which Tosú runs in Mountjoy male and female prisons, Cloverhill, Midlands and Castlerea prisons.
GATE Service
provides clients with access to guidance and counselling, so that they can explore future possibilities, for example getting on a training course, or applying for jobs.
