Two jails planned as number of prisoners set to soar

THE Government is planning a mini-Thornton Hall and a new Cork prison as it revealed prison numbers could jump by 50% over the next five years.

Unveiling the plans yesterday, Justice Minister Alan Shatter said he would not know until the autumn whether the Government will have the money to fund the projects.

A top-level Government report said that if the high level of early release of inmates continues there was a “real risk” of undermining public confidence in the system.