Inspector of prisons backs findings of jail report by European watchdog

Government urged to to increase alternatives to custody and bail projects

The comments come as prison overcrowding reached another record on Thursday, with 5,539 in custody. That compares to just under 5,000 when the CPT team visited in May 2024. Picture: Dan Linehan

The inspector of prisons Mark Kelly has echoed the “deep concern” about the state of Irish prisons documented in a detailed report by a European inspection body.

Mr Kelly said the findings by the Council of Europe Committee on the Prevention of Torture (CPT) mirrors those that he has made.