Who goes to jail in Cork? Our podcast series exposes links between crime, poverty, and homelessness

Irish Examiner’s investigative series reveals the social patterns behind rising crime and asks how to break the cycle

Cork’s hidden crisis: A new Irish Examiner podcast investigates who ends up in jail — and why — revealing stark links between crime, poverty, and homelessness

Rising crime levels and prison overcrowding are never far from the headlines. But what do we really know about the people who fill our criminal courts and prisons?

The Irish Examiner's deep dive into thousands of reports from Cork courts offers readers a unique insight into the darker — and often more tragic — side of the city.

As part of the investigative series, a three-part podcast, Cork Crime and Jail Time, hosted by Deirdre O'Shaughnessy, delves into the data to explore why people end up in prison — and what can be done to break the cycle of criminality in some areas.

Episode 1: Five years of court cases in Cork reveal surprising statistics — we explore who goes to jail with guests including retired judge Olann Kelleher.

 

Episode 2: A tale of two cities — Cork’s Northside appears disproportionately in crime statistics. 

We explore why with experts, including UCC criminologist Orla Lynch and Katherine Harford of Let's Grow Together.

Episode 3: No fixed abode — homeless people get almost a quarter of jail sentences handed out in Cork. 

Hear the stories of Marcin and Niall, who are homeless in Cork and learn what drives this trend with Kerry Brennan of Cork Simon and other guests. 

This podcast series is presented and produced by Deirdre O'Shaughnessy, with research by Ev Duggan and Eoin English, on location recording by Chani Anderson, and editing and sound design by Ivan Rodriguez.