‘Assess prisoners before early release’

The Inspector of Prisons has called for proper assessment of all prisoners being freed early following the death of an inmate who was granted temporary release from an overcrowded jail.

The inmate, aged 30, was released from Limerick Prison on 23 July 2014. He was found dead from a suspected overdose on August 5 in a church yard.

In his investigation, prisons inspector Judge Michael Reilly concluded that a full assessment of the man’s suitability for temporary release was “not carried out” prior to his release.