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Prison

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

<p>Picture: iStock</p>

comment-analysis

Mick Clifford: Conditions in Irish jails an unwarranted extra penalty on prisoners

People in prison have been sentenced to lose their liberty: Living in appalling conditions is an unjustified extra punishment

<p>When a parent or partner goes to prison, family relationships are strained, mental health and wellbeing are negatively impacted, and the family often loses an essential income, the Irish Penal Reform Trust said. File photo: iStock/patanasak</p>

court and crime

Partners of prisoners should get similar social welfare assistance as other lone parents, says report

<p>The prisoner is serving a four-and-a-half-year sentence in Limerick Prison. Picture: Dan Linehan</p>

munster

Manhunt underway after violent prisoner escapes during Limerick hospital escort

Outrage as violent offenders among hundreds granted temporary prison release

court and crime

Outrage as violent offenders among hundreds granted temporary prison release

Cahirmee horse fair

court and crime

Cork Prison inmate admits biting ear off remand prisoner in unprovoked attack

'No doubt' that overcrowding is a factor in 55% rise of prison deaths, inspector says

court and crime

'No doubt' that overcrowding is a factor in 55% rise of prison deaths, inspector says

Irish Prison Service to spend over €440,000 to research mental health needs of inmates

Irish Prison Service to spend over €440,000 to research mental health needs of inmates

Research to inform clinical practice in prisons and support of prisoners going back into the community

Mon, 13 Oct, 2025

Official Opening of the Central Mental Hospital, Portrane

Budget 2026: Minister seeks funds for psychiatric ICU in Central Mental Hospital

Opening could 'significantly reduce' the lengthy waiting times for severely ill prisoners

Sun, 05 Oct, 2025

Cocker spaniel Bailey released from Derry prison after public outcry

Cocker spaniel Bailey released from Derry prison after public outcry

Bailey had been placed in the medium-security prison in Derry as a support dog for prisoners, but reports in August about his condition prompted animal rights protests

Mon, 22 Sep, 2025

Prison service considering use of body scanners to detect drugs following death of inmate

Prison service considering use of body scanners to detect drugs following death of inmate

Investigation concerns the death of a 32-year-old male prisoner, who died in Limerick Prison on November 15, 2020, during the covid lockdown

Tue, 16 Sep, 2025

Prison service currently operating 'far beyond its limits', director general warns

Prison service currently operating 'far beyond its limits', director general warns

The Irish Prison Service warns inmate numbers are at record highs, with hundreds forced to sleep on cell floors

Thu, 04 Sep, 2025

Mountjoy Prison, Phibsborough, Dublin, Ireland.

WRC orders Prison Service to take back officer who went absent without leave to fight in Ukraine

Brian Meagher was fired after a senior Irish Prison Service official saw him giving an interview on RTÉ’s 'Prime Time' from a hospital bed in September 2022 after he was wounded in action

Wed, 27 Aug, 2025

Woman not released from prison on bail because she has no home to go to, court hears

Woman not released from prison on bail because she has no home to go to, court hears

Had she an address, she could be given temporary release from prison

Tue, 26 Aug, 2025

Coronavirus - Tue Jan 26, 2021

'Unconscionable' sleeping conditions in overcrowded prisons 'blighting lives'

There are 486 inmates sleeping on mattresses on cell floors in country's prisons

Tue, 19 Aug, 2025

Coronavirus - Tue Jan 26, 2021

Solicitor 'mystified' over absence of prisoner's autopsy report from DPP file, inquest told

The inquest also heard the DPP file had been resubmitted about two weeks ago after it emerged that the original file had been mislaid

Wed, 13 Aug, 2025

Revealed: The luxury grocery orders of the high-security inmates in Portlaoise

Revealed: The luxury grocery orders of the high-security inmates in Portlaoise

Exclusive records reveal Portlaoise’s subversive prisoners ordering everything from gourmet steaks to chocolate treats — all paid from personal funds

Tue, 12 Aug, 2025

Government playing catch-up in bid to ease prison overcrowding

Government playing catch-up in bid to ease prison overcrowding

Ireland’s prisons are at 120% capacity, prompting a €495m plan for 1,500 new spaces and a revived Thornton Hall project

Mon, 11 Aug, 2025

Prisoner died day before his scheduled transfer to psychiatric unit, report says

Prisoner died day before his scheduled transfer to psychiatric unit, report says

A psychiatrist told the investigation team that 'accessing treatment in a community-based psychiatric facility is extremely challenging'

Tue, 05 Aug, 2025

Peep Hole in the door to a Prison Cell

Nearly 400 inmates at large in the last decade never returned to prison

Some 4,178 inmates were recorded as unlawfully at large between 2015 and 2024, of which 3,815 were returned to custody

Tue, 05 Aug, 2025

Crime by offenders on bail rises 20% as prison overcrowding hits crisis levels

Crime by offenders on bail rises 20% as prison overcrowding hits crisis levels

Crime committed on bail has jumped 20% since 2022 — but overcrowded prisons are releasing offenders back onto streets

Sat, 02 Aug, 2025

Man jailed for spitting on garda walks free due to Cork Prison overcrowding

Man jailed for spitting on garda walks free due to Cork Prison overcrowding

Despite being sentenced for assaulting a garda, a man was turned away from Cork Prison due to overcrowding crisis

Thu, 31 Jul, 2025

Department mistakenly paid over €600k in welfare to prisoners in last two years

Department mistakenly paid over €600k in welfare to prisoners in last two years

Most payments were stopped quickly and might only continue to be made for a very short period of time

Tue, 29 Jul, 2025

Inspector of prisons backs findings of jail report by European watchdog

Inspector of prisons backs findings of jail report by European watchdog

Government urged to to increase alternatives to custody and bail projects

Fri, 25 Jul, 2025

Man in prison hands of behind hold Steel cage jail bars. offender criminal locked in jail.

Prisons turned into 'human warehouses' by chronic overcrowding — Council of Europe inspectors

Overcrowding, violence — and a mentally-ill female prisoner who 'had not had access to a shower for four days' — among issues raised by the Council of Europe Committee on the Prevention of Torture

Thu, 24 Jul, 2025

National Development Plan allocates almost €4bn for defence and justice capital spends

National Development Plan allocates almost €4bn for defence and justice capital spends

The Government has committed to implement the second of three levels of investment (LOA2), centred on increasing the annual defence budget from €1.1bn in 2022 to €1.5bn in 2028

Tue, 22 Jul, 2025

Prisoner XL

Prison service pleaded with Government to delay court cases to address chronic overcrowding

Irish Prison Service said a new policy on bail was needed urgently to ensure people awaiting trial for 'non-serious offences' were not sent to jail

Tue, 22 Jul, 2025

Man in prison hands of behind hold Steel cage jail bars. offender criminal locked in jail.

Irish prisons entering 'unthinkable territory' as overcrowding hits 'crisis' level

Warning from Prison Officers Association comes as Ireland now has 860 more inmates than its prisons can hold

Mon, 21 Jul, 2025

Number of sex offenders in Irish jails up 16% amid ‘epidemic of violence against women’

Number of sex offenders in Irish jails up 16% amid ‘epidemic of violence against women’

MEP calls for suite of reforms including a review of sentencing for such crimes, and advanced training for circuit and district court judges

Mon, 14 Jul, 2025

Prison systems 'likely to reach breaking point' as overcrowding gets worse

Prison systems 'likely to reach breaking point' as overcrowding gets worse

Even if the commitment in the 2025 Programme for Government is fully met, the recommended capacity of Irish prisons would be less than current inmate numbers

Mon, 07 Jul, 2025

Inside Alcatraz Prison - Row of Bars and Cells

Cork crime: Addiction, poverty, and trauma driving women into prison

More women are being jailed for theft, addiction, and trauma-linked crimes, while overcrowded jails hinder real rehabilitation, writes Ann Murphy

Mon, 30 Jun, 2025

Cahirmee horse fair

Striking disparity in jail sentences between Cork City’s northside and southside

New Irish Examiner analysis reveals significant sentencing disparities between Cork’s northside and southside, raising questions over justice and inequality

Tue, 24 Jun, 2025

Inside Alcatraz Prison - Row of Bars and Cells

Cork crime: Men jailed for twice as long as women, court data over five years reveals

New analysis of Cork court data reveals stark differences in jail terms by gender, offence type, and addiction impact

Tue, 24 Jun, 2025

Former Cork prison could become new 300-bed facility under plan to tackle overcrowding

Former Cork prison could become new 300-bed facility under plan to tackle overcrowding

Micheál Martin says the former Cork prison site may be the only viable option to address urgent overcrowding

Sun, 08 Jun, 2025

Official Opening of the Central Mental Hospital, Portrane

'Serious concerns' after 17 areas of non-compliance found at Central Mental Hospital

The Inspector of Mental Health Services, Professor James Lucey, said 10 of 17 areas of non-compliance were reoccurring

Wed, 04 Jun, 2025

Justice minister to accelerate building of nearly 1,000 prison spaces across the country

Justice minister to accelerate building of nearly 1,000 prison spaces across the country

Jim O'Callaghan will inform government that the prison estate as a whole is currently operating at 115% over capacity

Wed, 04 Jun, 2025

New Orleans Inmates Escape

Three more of 10 escapees from New Orleans jail captured, leaving two on run

Three more of the 10 inmates who escaped from a New Orleans jail earlier this month have been re-arrested in two different states after more than a week on the run, authorities have said.

Tue, 27 May, 2025

Man in prison hands of behind hold Steel cage jail bars. offender criminal locked in jail.

‘Ireland an outlier’ for serving life sentences on children, expert says

Nessa Lynch said Ireland’s law in the area is unclear and it should be resolved through legislation

Mon, 19 May, 2025

New-Orleans-Inmates-Escape

Ten escape from New Orleans jail through hole in cell wall

Seven of the escapees, including suspects charged with murder, remain on the lam following the breakout that the local sheriff says may have been aided by members within the department.

Sat, 17 May, 2025

Inmate who died violently in prison had to be identified by his fingerprints, inquest hears

Inmate who died violently in prison had to be identified by his fingerprints, inquest hears

It is understood three prisoners were in the two-man cell at the time of the fatal incident. One of the other occupants of the cell also sustained injuries during the incident and required treatment

Thu, 08 May, 2025

Prison officers share fears drones will smuggle guns into jails

Prison officers share fears drones will smuggle guns into jails

Deputy general secretary Gabriel Keaveny said the average value of consignments in a drone drop is between €50,000-€60,000 inside prisons

Thu, 01 May, 2025

Cabinet must release funding to tackle prison overcrowding within '12 to 18 months', minister warns

Cabinet must release funding to tackle prison overcrowding within '12 to 18 months', minister warns

Prison Officers' Association president Tony Power told the annual conference in Galway that the 'revolving door' is back in prisons

Thu, 01 May, 2025

Overcrowding will cause 'tragedy', prison officers warn

Overcrowding will cause 'tragedy', prison officers warn

The Programme for Government commits to 1,500 new prison spaces over the five years of the coalition

Thu, 01 May, 2025

Prisoner XL

'We could be heading towards 6,000' inmates in Irish prisons after Easter court break

The Prison Officers’ Association has regularly raised the looming overcrowding crisis, telling the 'Irish Examiner' in March 2024 that it was a 'ticking timebomb'

Mon, 14 Apr, 2025

Worsening prison overcrowding poses 'very high-risk' situation for staff and inmates

Worsening prison overcrowding poses 'very high-risk' situation for staff and inmates

It is understood that contingency plans have been drawn up in prisons for scenarios where control is lost in a jail or part of one

Mon, 14 Apr, 2025

The Glen 'does not deserve another prison': TDs oppose using old Cork prison site as jail extension

The Glen 'does not deserve another prison': TDs oppose using old Cork prison site as jail extension

The Irish Prison Service (IPS) also said the old prison building is in a poor physical state and unsuitable for use in its current form

Thu, 10 Apr, 2025

Cork Prison ‘overcrowded’ every day for the last two years

Cork Prison ‘overcrowded’ every day for the last two years

Justice minister Jim O’Callaghan said the Irish Prison Service (IPS) must accept all people committed by the courts and has no control over those numbers

Mon, 24 Mar, 2025

Short-sighted attitude to prison overcrowding reflects our country's political cowardice

S Short-sighted attitude to prison overcrowding reflects our country's political cowardice

There is an illusion in some sections of society that prison can be a bit of a holiday camp. This is completely at odds with the reality of living conditions, writes Mick Clifford

Mon, 24 Mar, 2025

Cork Prison's pop-up restaurant offers inmates 'a second chance'

Cork Prison's pop-up restaurant offers inmates 'a second chance'

Inmates offered a job after completing the eight-week culinary skills 'confidence-building' programme don't always remain in the hospitality sector, says chef JJ Healy

Tue, 11 Mar, 2025

MOUNTJOY PRISON

Rise in number of women giving birth behind bars last year, says report

In 2023, the construction of a new prison facility to provide accommodation for 56 female prisoners in Limerick Prison was completed

Mon, 10 Mar, 2025

3/8/2006 Mountjoy Prison

Prison service told to ensure ‘do not resuscitate’ decisions reflect 'consent' of prisoners

Instruction follows investigation into the circumstances of the death of a prisoner in January 2023

Sun, 09 Mar, 2025