60% of Cork Prison inmates are jailed for non-payment of court fines

Six out of 10 people sent to Cork Prison are jailed for non-payment of court fines, putting huge pressure on the system.

The vast majority are released back out on the same day, according to an analysis of one month’s figures.

Both the governor of Cork Prison, Jim Collins, and the head of the Prison Service, Michael Donnellan, said these people should not be in prison and the continuing practice placed a “huge burden” not just on Cork, but the prison system in general.