Ireland
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Ireland: prison system at 'breaking point' as capacity exceeded by over 400 incarcerated people
Independent TD Carol Nolan has spoken out about concerns over the prison system as data confirms that it is approaching a ‘breaking point’ - with capacity currently exceeded by over 400 incarcerated people.Ireland: prison overcrowding making drug problem worse, warns Irish Penal Reform Trust
Record number of people incarcerated at present and penal system operating at 112 per cent capacity. The Irish Penal Reform Trust has said that overcrowding in prisons is making it more difficult for inmates to tackle addiction problems.Ireland: prisoners sleeping on mattresses on floors "wedged next to unpartitioned toilets"
The Inspector of Prisons has said the record levels of overcrowding in jails is “deplorable” and that he has been “sounding the alarm” of the crisis since he took up the position in August 2022.Mark Kelly also expressed grave concern at the “undesirable uptick in physical violence” the worsening ov…
Ireland: new approach to rehabilitating inmates at Cork Prison
“The prison service has changed hugely in the last 10 years or so, and the case of locking prisoners up and throwing away the key is gone,” Ger Manley, governor of Cork Prison, told The Echo in an interview at the prison. “Nowadays we’re looking at rehabilitating prisoners through our workshops, th…
Ireland: prison university project to "bring third-level to those furthest away from it"
A programme to support prisoners to go to university, and “bring third-level education to those furthest away from it” will be unveiled by minister for Justice Helen McEntee and her colleague, minister for Higher Education Simon Harris.Ireland: €3.7m spent on medicine for prison inmates over the last two years
More than €3.7m has been spent by the Irish Prison Service on medications for inmates over the past two years. The bill at a single prison can be in excess of €50,000 a month, according to the data, with costs highest at the Midlands Prison in Co Laois. The Irish Prison Service said many of those s…Ireland: prison service to spend €1.6m on bras, underwear for inmates
The Irish Prison Service (IPS) is set to spend more than €1.6m on bras, underwear, anoraks, and other items of clothing for inmates over the next three years. Nighties, dressing gowns, and tracksuits are among 30 categories of clothing sought by the IPS in an invitation for tenders. The successful…Ireland: case of brain-damaged man in prison "far from rare"
The Director of the Central Mental Hospital has said the case of a brain-damaged homeless man in prison is “far from rare”. Professor Harry Kennedy said there is a caseload of around 250 people in the prisons with severe mental illnesses or disorders. Yesterday, the President of the High Court, M…Ireland: overcrowding an issue as prison inmate numbers rise 11% in two years
The Irish Prison Service said more people are being sent to prison and overcrowding has once again become an issue in Irish prisons. The number of inmates has increased by 11% in the last two years, with more than 4,000 people now in custody on a regular basis. Remand prisoners have increased by mo…