Prison overcrowding at record levels with four to a cell in some facilities
Mattresses Sleeping Have Are Four 180 People Prisons Over A Many Too Cell, On To Currently And
The number of people behind bars has hit record levels – and the Government has been warned of an “extremely high-risk situation” as the overcrowding gets worse in the coming weeks.
There are now four prisoners per cell in several prisons, which has been described as “grossly inappropriate and dangerous.”
Prison officials attended a meeting with Justice Minister Helen McEntee and Minister of State James Browne on Tuesday where they were informed a new record of the number of people behind bars had been reached in a decade.
There is “grave concern” within government and the prison service for the weeks ahead as District Court judges clear their lists before breaking for the summer which will result in a rise in the prison population again.
It’s understood “eyebrows were raised” at the meeting when the ministers were informed there are four people in some cells.
The crisis will lead to “all sorts of problems” including the possibility of increased violence and drug-related issues, officials have been warned.
“It’s a recipe for disaster and the situation is going to make it extremely difficult to manage prisoners,” said one senior source.
The Irish Prison Service confirmed that as of Friday, there were 4,651 people in custody with 182 sleeping on mattresses.
It’s understood the prison system informed senior government officials that they had “sweated all the assets” in terms of finding capacity which has now hit 104%.
The hot weather combined with the lack of space in cells is creating an “exceptionally high-risk” situation on top of everyday issues such as tensions among inmates.
Sources have said there are no real short-term solutions to the problem, but it’s understood the question as to why District Court judges aren’t using more community sanctions rather than sending people to prison was raised at the meeting, particularly in the cases where people were being sent to prison for a short number of months.
Senior sources have also said the overcrowding crisis has come at a time when it’s difficult to release people back into communities because services and staff are not at full capacity in the summer.
General Secretary of the Prison Officers Association (POA), Karl Dalton said overcrowding leads to increased violence and injuries for prison officers.
He also said he has written Minister McEntee asking why only some prisons can maintain structured activity in line with prison service policies.
He said the stoppage of activities such as education and training results in more inmates out in the yard where intimidation and drug taking can increase.
He said people sleeping on mattresses creates conflict as inmates have to sleep with their head under the toilet which other prisoners are using in the cell. He said mattresses can also block the cell from opening.
He said a recruitment drive has only resulted in 52 out of 80 people and there is no way the minister’s target of hiring up to 200 prison officers before the end of the year will be reached.
The Irish Prison Service said they must accept all prisoners committed by the Courts and it has no control over the numbers committed to custody at any given time.
A spokesperson said the system is making every effort to deal with the capacity crisis through a combination of inter-prison transfers and temporary release.
“Decisions in relation to temporary release are considered on a case-by-case basis and the safety of the public is paramount when those decisions are made,” they said.
The spokesperson said 22 extra female spaces are expected to become operational in July at Limerick prison.
In April, interim Justice Minister Simon Harris brought a memo to Cabinet identifying four short-term capital projects at four prisons across the country which he said could deliver over 400 prison spaces over the next five years and this would provide accommodation for a minimum of 620 additional prisoners.
The Department of Justice is also reviewing the State’s remission policy which could see prisoners who are not serving life sentences entitled to 33% remission instead of the current 25% under the proposals.
Fianna Fáil TD Jim O’Callaghan said it is inevitable that the State’s prison population will increase significantly as our population grows.
He said the solution to the overcrowding problem is to provide more appropriate and modern space rather than reducing sentences beyond the current standard reductions.
“If we don’t provide more appropriate and modern prison space we will inevitably undermine the sentences imposed by our courts and the justice that victims expect,” he said.
“It would also be grossly inappropriate and potentially dangerous to require more than two grown men to share a cell together. That is asking for trouble.”