25th April 2023
In a RTÉ News report on Sunday 23 April, the Irish Prison Service (IPS) confirms overcrowding crisis in prisons that IPRT have previously raised. The IPS states that prisons have reached capacity and are now overcrowded, following a temporary dip during the Covid-19 pandemic.
As of Friday (21 April), 167 prisoners were sleeping on mattresses on the floor, with half of them in Dublin's Mountjoy Prison.
Numbers have surged by 14% or close to 558 additional prisoners compared to April last year.
IPRT calls on the Government to use prison as a last resort, not only for those serving shorter sentences but also for those held on remand or eligible, where appropriate, for early or temporary release.
Read the full article here.
Watch the RTÉ video report here.
Listen to the RTÉ podcast here.
Respect for rights in the penal system with prison as a last resort.