More than one-third of inmates released early from prison

More than one-third of prisoners are being released early from Irish jails, according to new figures obtained from the Government by Fine Gael.

The figures show that more than 3,000 inmates were freed last year before they had completed their sentences or qualified for remission due to good behaviour.

The majority were released from Mountjoy, Cork and Limerick, the State's most crowded prisons.

Fine Gael TD Jim O'Keefe says the figures were proof of the re-emergence of a revolving-door system due to chronic overcrowding in Irish jails.

The Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell, has previously insisted that the high level of early released are granted as part of sentence management and prisoner reintegration.