2 weeks Ago By Emma Kilcawley Hemani
OUR overcrowded jails cannot safely house a sudden rise in lags following “widespread public disorder”, the Justice Minister has been warned. Helen McEntee was told by staff the appointment of extra judges and more court sittings could also lead to the creaking system being overwhelmed. With record numbers in custody, a department report said: “Operating above capacity has become an unwanted standard in 2023 and into 2024.
This has considerable negative impact on safety and the functioning of the prisons . “But it should also be noted that the Irish prison estate currently has no space to safely accommodate any sudden surge in its population.” It said a surge could happen in the event of public disorder, such as the rioting that erupted in Dublin last year or from increased activity in the courts.
McEntee has been repeatedly briefed on Ireland’s swamped penal system this year, with prisons frequently operating at above 100 per cent capacity. One document said: “The prison service considers that the population should not go above 95 per cent of the total capacity.” It added: “Going above this risks the safety of staff and prisoners alike.
” Another briefing revealed that some prisons were consistently operating at over 107 per cent capacity. McEntee was told this was putting them under intense “operational stress” because of an “unprecedented increase” in prisoner numbers. The document said: “Prison overcrowding leads to an increased risk of violence for prisoners, threatens the health and safety of prison officers and undermines the rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders, ultimately resulting in an increased threat to public safety.
” The briefing said extra capacity of at least 650 spaces would be needed over the next three to five years. Officials wrote: “Beyond that time frame, further capacity will be needed, as will a programme to modernise the prison estate – some of which dates to the 19th century.” A Justice Department spokesman said that significant capital funding had been made available to provide extra prison spaces.
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