CRAMPED CONDITIONS

‘Very concerning’ Irish prison overcrowding crisis laid bare as shock number of prisoners on mattresses in jail

The most overcrowded facility at 113 per cent capacity is located in Dublin

• Published: 17:34, 4 Feb 2024
• Updated: 17:34, 4 Feb 2024

MORE than 100 prisoners are kipping on mattresses in Irish jails, new stats show.

As of this week, there were a record 4,768 people in custody across the prison service with 101 inmates sleeping on the floor. Another 412 convicts are on temporary release.

The official capacity of the Irish prison system is 4,514.

Cloverhill in Dublin is the most overcrowded facility at 113 per cent capacity, followed by Cork at 111 per cent.

There are 809 people locked up in Mountjoy, where the operational capacity is 755. While the women’s cells are currently at 111 per cent capacity with 162 people in custody.

Justice Minister Helen McEntee said where the number of people in custody exceeds the maximum capacity in any prison, officials make “every effort” to deal with the overcrowding through a combination of inter-prison transfers and structured Temporary Release.

She said: “The Irish Prison Service is working closely with my officials in the Department of Justice to take steps to ensure a safe working environment for staff, and the safety and security of people in custody.

“A Prison Overcrowding Response Group has been established, with officials from across the Department, the Irish Prison Service, Probation Service, Courts Service, and An Garda Síochana. This group is currently examining proposals to address overcrowding.”

But Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) Executive Director Saoirse Brady last night slammed the practice.

She told the Irish Sun: “The fact that we have a growing number of people in prison sleeping on mattresses at the end of January paints a stark picture and is very concerning.

“No one should have to live in the conditions we’re hearing about. People are forced to share cramped cells, where they eat their meals and sleep on mattresses on the floor beside unpartitioned toilets.

“The talk of expanding and building more prisons is not going to help over 100 people on mattresses in cramped cells right now. We need to focus on stopping the churn of people into prisons and make every effort to divert people away from prison to alternatives to prison where suitable.

“While the Irish Prison Service has to accept all people sent to it by the courts, imprisonment should only ever be used as a last resort.

“Unfortunately, there continues to be an over-reliance on short prison sentences for people convicted of less serious offences, despite the damaging and long-lasting impact it has on individuals, families, and communities.

“The rise in overcrowding and increasing use of mattresses on floors across prisons is just not acceptable, particularly when Government policy is in place to try and reduce the amount of people in prison overall.”