ICCL: Prison overcrowding must be addressed

The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) says the issues of overcrowding and slopping out in Irish prisons need to be addressed as a matter of urgency.

The remarks are contained in a new report from the body to coincide with the Government's presentation to a UN committee today on its record in protecting human rights.

The ICCL report is being published just days after a major incident at Mountjoy Prison over the weekend in which up to 70 inmates barricaded themselves in the jail's D-wing, forcing staff to withdraw.

A number of staff members and inmates were injured when prison officers eventually stormed the area.

Overcrowding and tough new security measures are believed to be the reasons behind the stand-off.

Launching today's report, Australian judge Michael Kirby said slopping out was a particularly undignified experience.

"People go to prison as punishment, not for punishment," he said.