Limerick women’s prison operating at twice its capacity, latest figures show

Latest figures from the body show the women’s wing is housing 91 inmates, despite having a maximum capacity of 56 beds

Limerick Prison. Picture: Dan Linehan

The women’s wing of Limerick Prison is currently operating at twice its capacity.

That’s according to the Irish Prison Service’s latest figures, which show that the women’s wing is housing 91 inmates, despite having a maximum capacity of just 56 beds.

The women’s wing of Limerick Prison has consistently been the most overcrowded facility in the system.

When the Prison Visiting Committee first inspected the wing in 2022, they reported that overcrowding —  at the time reaching 157% of capacity —  was an urgent issue.

“This overcrowding needs to be eliminated as a matter of urgency and female inmates transferred to the new building as soon as possible,” they stated.

Despite hopes expressed in the committee’s 2022 report, inmates are still sleeping on camp beds in the medium-security prison, which has been described as a "Scandinavian-style prison."

The new women’s wing at Limerick Prison follows a "trauma-informed" model, designed to rehabilitate inmates and reduce the risk of reoffending.

Each cell includes an en-suite shower and toilet, a television, a bed, a writing desk, and a telephone.

The facility also features eight assisted-living apartments, including one specifically designed for expecting mothers.

According to the latest statistics, the men’s section of Limerick Prison is also overcrowded, with 361 inmates housed in a facility designed for only 286 beds.