Group set up to address prison overcrowding as inmate numbers reach record

The prison system in Ireland has consistently had more than 4,700 people in it on a daily basis since November, 200 more than the system can accommodate.

A high-level group has been established to examine proposals to ease the growing overcrowding problem in Irish prisons.

The Department of Justice also said research has been commissioned to survey district court judges on their views of community sanctions.

The measures follow reports in today’s Irish Examiner detailing the scale of the overcrowding problem in prisons, with record numbers in custody.

The system has consistently had more than 4,700 people in it on a daily basis since November, 200 more than the system can accommodate.

In a statement, the Department of Justice said that more than 200 new prison spaces have been provided in recent years through construction and modernisation.

It said this includes a new standalone female prison in Limerick, providing an additional 22 cell spaces, and new accommodation in the male prison, providing an additional 90 cell spaces.

The department said there are plans for four capital projects at Castlerea, Cloverhill, Midlands and Mountjoy prisons, which could deliver up to 620 additional spaces over five years.

The statement said Justice Minister Helen McEntee is “continuing to engage” with Public Expenditure Minister Michael McGrath to agree a build schedule.

On more immediate measures, the department said: “In addition, a Prison Overcrowding Response Group has been established, with officials from across the department, the Irish Prison Service, Probation Service, Courts Service, and An Garda Síochána.

What's your view on this issue?

You can tell us here

“This group is currently examining proposals to address overcrowding.” 

It said the Department of Justice is “progressing” policies to ensure that the courts have a range of options for dealing with minor offences, citing the Government’s Review of Policy Options for Prison and Penal Reform 2022-2024, published in August 2022.

It said the review seeks to "find the balance" between ensuring that people who commit serious crimes receive a punishment and period of incarceration proportionate to that crime, while also acknowledging that community-based sanctions are sometimes more appropriate.

It said the department has commissioned researchers to engage with the District Court on the operation of the Criminal Justice (Community Service) (Amendment) Act 2011 and to produce a report on “judicial insights and perspectives”.