Prisoner numbers on course to reach 'unimaginable' level

The Inspector of Prisons said last November that there was 'no doubt' overcrowding pressures contributed to a record 31 prison deaths in 2024

A cell in Mountjoy Prison last January with a mattress on the floor to accommodate a second prisoner because of overcrowding. 'Mountjoy numbers are really worrying,' one source said. Photo: Moya Nolan

Prisoner numbers are on course to reach 6,000 in a matter of months — a level of overcrowding prison sources say is “unimaginable”, as maximum capacity is only 4,700.

Serious concern was expressed when prison numbers breached the 5,000 landmark in June 2024 but the crisis gathered speed in 2025, climbing to 5,800 just before Christmas.