Almost 350 inmates in Cork prison where capacity stands at just 300

In Cork, 348 people were in custody, which has a capacity for 296, meaning it is at 118% capacity, the second-highest after Limerick Female Prison (121%)

The Prison Officers' Association says crowded jails are a 'ticking timebomb'. Picture: Dan Linehan

Almost 350 inmates were in cells in Cork Prison last Tuesday night — in a jail with a maximum capacity for just 300 people.

The bulk of these cells already have two prisoners in them, including an increasing number of specialist single cells for violent inmates and prisoners with psychiatric disorders.