A staggering €7,000 was spent on Fitbit watches for prisoners at a Dublin jail, the Irish Sunday Mirror has learned.
The smart watch, which is used to monitor people’s heart rates, steps and sleep, start at roughly €51 and go right up to as much as €205 each.
The devices are believed to have been bought for inmates at Arbour Hill Prison which houses the country’s most dangerous killers such as John Shaw and Brian Hennessy.
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It’s understood 135 watches were purchased for around €7,000 but have yet to be handed out and used by inmates. A source said the unusual move has not gone down well with staff who are crying out for more resources.
The insider said: “To think that thousands of euros was spent on fitness watches for inmates is just shocking.
“They were bought to apparently help with prisoners’ mental health and wellbeing but that money would have been better spent elsewhere. There is a serious shortage of staff at the moment within the prisons and to see money being spent willy nilly like this rather than going towards the likes of this really gets people’s blood boiling.” A spokeswoman for the Irish Prison Service confirmed the digital devices had been bought to help inmates maintain their fitness.
She added: “The procurement of the trackers was through the PAPF fund which profits from the tuck shop that are used for prison initiatives.
“The trackers have restricted functionality and will remain the property of the Irish Prison Service.”
