Allegations of excessive force and threats from staff among 900 prisoner complaints 

The highest number of Category A complaints were made by prisoners in Portlaoise prison. 

The inspector of prisons has again called for a new prisoner complaints system to be rolled out without delay because the current system is “unfit for purpose”.

The concerns were flagged in the Prison Inspector’s 2020 annual report, which found that 933 complaints were reported across 10 facilities last year, with around 10% of complaints deemed serious and requiring investigation.