The Gospel According To Matthew - Niamh O'D

For years my parents told me that my oldest brother Matthew was on holidays. It wasn’t until I found letters from him addressed to my mam that I was able to connect the dots. This is the first time that Matthew shared his story with me. Background: This project originally started as an investigation into the Irish Penal Service, and the lack of services available to high-risk re-offenders here in Ireland. My interest in this sprang from a personal interest in the prison service here in Ireland, and from observing my brother, who had experienced time being incarcerated here in Ireland. The topic began to change, however, when I realised the stigma we hold towards addicts, and how these people are screaming out for help, but nobody is listening. In memory of Matthew O'Donohue RIP.