Worsening prison overcrowding poses 'very high-risk' situation for staff and inmates

There are now 430 prisoners sleeping on mattresses on the floors of cells, almost treble the number this time last year — including 53 in Cork Prison. File Picture: Cillian Kelly

A sharp escalation in prison overcrowding is creating a “breeding ground for violence” and poses a “very high-risk situation” for prison staff and inmates, the Inspector of Prisons has said.

The warning comes after the latest figures show a dramatic worsening of the crisis, with prisoner numbers now hitting almost 5,400 — 750 more people than there are spaces.