Prison overcrowding putting pressure on inmates and prison staff – officers hear

Its president, Tony Power, said buying mattresses for floors and bunk beds for cells is not the solution to cell overcrowding, and the Dochas Womens’ Prison, which has a capacity of 105 inmates, had 170 women in it on Wednesday last week.

“You couldn’t make this up. If we were reading this account in respect of some other European country, we would be asking what are they at? What has gone wrong with their prison service?” said Mr Power.

“It is a sad indictment on both the Department of Justice and the Irish Prison Service (IPS) that we find ourselves in this situation today considering that over 200 years ago when Limerick Jail was constructed it was designed on the basis of single cell accommodation.

“Let’s consider that. Over 200 years ago there was a more progressive outlook on penal reform than we have now 23 years into the 21st century. Prison numbers have increased year on year, from approximately 3,750 in April 2017 to over 4,400 in April 2023.

"The Prison Officers’ Association has continued to raise the overcrowding issue with the IPS so it’s not as if this crisis happened overnight, we had predicted it, and now the numbers are there for all to see and as always for our members to manage at the coalface,” he added.

“Overcrowding provides the perfect atmosphere for the bully to thrive.

"This leads to huge pressure being put on vulnerable prisoners to traffic in contraband, including weapons and illegal drugs. Serious violence is very often part of the scenario here and we prison officers pay the inevitable price,” Mr Power explained, urging Justice Minister Simon Harris to take swift and decisive action on the matter.

“We once again have single cells doubled up, mattresses on floors, prisoner population going through the roof - and the only solution seems to be the purchase of bunk beds? In the past the solution adopted by the Irish Prison Service to deal with overcrowding was to increase the capacity of prisons with the stroke of a pen, so nothing has changed. Acquiring bunk beds does not solve the problem, it merely hides it.”

Addressing his comments to Mr Harris, he said: “In February you announced your intention to appoint a further 24 judges this year with the possibility of a further 20 depending on progress. Your proposal goes on to suggest a five-day working week across all jurisdictions, longer court sittings and shortened holidays.

"There is one definite that will come out of all this, and that is an increase in the number of people committed to our prisons.

“The important question that it poses is, where will we put them? Because the Department of Justice officials seem to be standing with hands in pockets ignoring the issue and hoping it will just go away?” he added.

The Prison Officers Association annual delegate conference is taking place in Galway.

Mr Harris is expected to announce the provision of hundreds of additional prison spaces in the coming years.

He will tell the POA conference that he has identified four capital projects to be progressed over the next five years which would provide over 400 prison spaces.

The extra spaces will be provided at Castlerea, Cloverhill, Midlands and Mountjoy prisons.

He will tell delegates that the additional prison spaces are needed due to the significant population growth of recent years as well as increases in judicial resources and the number of gardaí.

He will also outline a number of penal reforms being implemented by the Government, including considering legislation requiring a trial judge to consider non-custodial and community-based sanctions before considering a custodial sentence.