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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 overcrowding will cause, in addition to the impact on the physical and mental health of inmates.
The prison watchdog told the Irish Examiner it was “perfectly clear” that the conditions many prisoners are held in are “degrading”. Mr Kelly said that prisoners sleeping on mattresses on cell floors “wedged next to unpartitioned toilets” cannot be in line with international obligations.
The number of people in prisons passed the 5,000 mark for the first time ever on June 20, with 5,002 inmates in cells with capacity for 4,514 people. A further 508 prisoners were on temporary release (TR).
The record was beaten twice last week, with 5,007 inmates last Wednesday (500 on TR) and 5,015 prisoners on Thursday (498 on TR).
A range of prison sources have told the Irish Examiner that they are very concerned over the coming months, with a combination of packed cells and warm weather along with greater competition among inmates for services, including phone calls, visits and access to gyms and workshops.
Mr Kelly said Ireland’s prison population passing the 5,000 mark was a “deplorable milestone”. The Inspector of Prisons said he has been “sounding the alarm” about the degrading conditions created by overcrowding in certain prisons since August 2022.
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