Rising tensions: Prisoner 'disorder' cases surge 25% in two years

Mountjoy Prison has seen cases jump from 1,253 in 2022 to 2,123 in 2024 (+69%). File photo: Gareth Chaney, Collins Photos

The number of prisoners being disciplined over disorder, including physical assaults, has risen by almost 25% in just two years, according to new figures.

Prison disciplinary sanctions went up by 2,000 incidents between 2022 and 2024 — with the biggest increases in Mountjoy, Cork, Limerick and Castlerea prisons.

The rise in disorder comes after a prison officer in Mountjoy was slashed across the face by a prisoner on February 1 in an attack that prison sources believe could easily have been fatal. This followed the fatal stabbing of a prisoner by another inmate in Cloverhill Prison last October.

In addition, the Irish Examiner has learned that the two high-security units in the country’s prisons — in Portlaoise Prison (eight spaces) and neighbouring Midlands Prison (five spaces) — which house the most violent and, in many cases, the most mentally ill of prisoners are currently full.

Prison bosses are concerned as to where they will put prisoners, who are currently before the courts, who are known to be extremely violent and volatile.

One source said the prison system was caught in a “perfect storm” of unprecedented overcrowding, increasing violence, surging levels of mental illnesses and a continuing drugs problem.

Prison figures show that the total number of prisoner disciplinary sanctions for breaches of “safety and good order”, including physical assaults, rose sharply in the last two years: 8,926 in 2022; 9,751 in 2023 and 10,960 in 2024 (+23% on 2022).

In the month of January 2025 there were 1,019 cases. Mountjoy Prison has seen cases jump from 1,253 in 2022 to 2,123 in 2024 (+69%). 

Elsewhere, numbers in Limerick Prison rose from 461 to 660 (+43%), while Cork Prison cases went from 549 to 729 (+39%). Cases in Castlerea Prison have nearly trebled, from 208 to 616.

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Gabriel Keaveny, deputy general secretary of the Prison Officers’ Association, said: “With the ongoing chronic overcrowding situation it is no surprise to the POA that this major increase has occurred.” 

He said that on the same weekend that a member was “savagely assaulted” at Mountjoy, another officer had hot tea thrown in their face and prisoners were smashing lights.

“In general there was a very real concern regarding the maintenance of law and order. Previous to this we saw four [drug] drone deliveries in a single day at Mountjoy,” he said.

“The POA have been predicting that a major incident will occur due to the overcrowding epidemic and the associated violence. Up to late last week there were 100-plus prisoners sleeping on the floor at Mountjoy with a further 130 bunk beds in operation. Tensions obviously rise in such a deplorable situation.”