Young offenders’ prison is nation’s most violent jail

St Patrick’s Institution — the prison for young offenders — is the most violent jail in the State, with far more assaults than at adult prisons such as Mountjoy.

There were 367 assaults on prisoners by other inmates in St Patrick’s in 2011 — accounting for one third of all assaults in the prison system last year.

Figures supplied to the Irish Examiner also show there were 48 assaults on prison staff by inmates in the Dublin jail — accounting for 30% of such assaults.

Prison Service figures show the total number of assaults by prisoners on prisoners jumped 45% last year from 770 in 2010 to 1,115 in 2011.

St Patrick’s has more than twice the number of inter-prisoner assaults as Mountjoy, despite having a population only one third of the size.

Overall, the total number of assaults of staff by inmates was 159 in 2011, similar to previous years.

A Prison Service spokesman said the total number of assaults in the system amounted to an average of three incidents a day in a population of 4,300.