Census of Cell Occupancy and In-Cell Sanitation April 2019

10th May 2019

The Irish Prison Service Statistics Office has recently published its quarterly statistical analysis of Cell Occupancy and In-Cell Sanitation for April 2019.

The report assesses the number of cells available in each institution and the number of those cells that are occupied by multiple prisoners. The report further looks into the number of prisoners who either do not have in-cell sanitation, or have to make use of toilet facilities in the presence of others.

The number of those required to use the toilet in the presence of others has increased from 1,775 in January 2019 to 1,803 in April 2019. The number of prisoners required to ‘slop out’ has increased from 60 in January 2019 to 68 in April 2019.

Key statistics from the census:

• There were 4,043 prisoners in custody
• 2,021 (50%) prisoners were accommodated in single cells
• 68 prisoners (1%) were required to slop out
• 1,803 prisoners (45%) were required to use the toilet in the presence of another prisoner
• 2,172 (54%) prisoners were in a single cell with a flush toilet or had access to toilet facilities in private at all times
• 3 prisoners were accommodated in Safety Observation Cells and 11 prisoners were accommodated in Close Supervision Cells.

To read the census in full, visit the Irish Prison Service website.

See more:

• IPRT: Doubling up in cells is an ineffective and short-term response to overcrowding
• Irish Prison Service: Census of Cell Occupancy and In-cell Sanitation January 2019
• IPRT: High Court Judgement on 'Slopping Out'