Overcrowding a major factor in prison violence

PRISON overcrowding has reached such dangerous levels that it is now the central factor in violence among inmates as well as a surging drug culture and the ongoing failure to rehabilitate those convicted of crimes.

According to the Prison Chaplains’ annual report, jails are struggling to cope with the large number of prisoners under their watch.

The situation has resulted in facilities like Mountjoy and Limerick prison no longer being considered safe for staff or inmates.