Inmates ‘crammed’ into Mountjoy

THE number of prisoners crammed into Mountjoy jail reached a new high yesterday, less than a day after the collapse of plans for a “super prison” at Thornton Hall.

Prison sources said there were 678 inmates in Mountjoy yesterday morning. This is 128 (or 20%) higher than the official bed capacity quoted by the Irish Prison Service and 228 (50%) higher than design capacity quoted by the Prison Officers’ Association.

The association said the prison service has increased the capacity by cramming bunk beds into single cells in the Victorian prison, which is largely without toilets, forcing inmates to “slop out” in front of each other.