Prisoner numbers on course to reach 'unimaginable' level - The Irish Examiner
6th January 2026
This article highlights a deepening overcrowding crisis in Irish prisons, with numbers approaching 6,000—well above official capacity. It quotes the Irish Penal Reform Trust warning that the Irish Prison Service is “fighting a losing battle” and that the system is “at breaking point”, while calling for a cross-government response and greater investment in community-based alternatives to custody.
Read the full article here.
Related items:
- Electronic tags for released prisoners to be trialled - Live 95 (Limerick)
- Number of non-nationals in Irish jails has more than doubled in past five years - Irish Mail on Sunday
- No electronic tagging of prisoners yet despite 2007 law paving the way - Irish Independent
- Urgent calls to address major overcrowding in Limerick Prison - Limerick Post
- No beds for over 100 people in Cork Prison - The Echo
