Report on In-Cell Sanitation and Occupancy in Irish Prisons April 2016

30th April 2016

The Irish Prison Service Statistics Office has recently published its quarterly statistical analysis of prison population, cell occupancy and in-cell sanitation facts and figures for January 2016.

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.

 Key statistics from the report:

• There were 3,782 prisoners within the system at the time of the report;
• 2,020 prisoners (53%) were accommodated in single cells; 
• 697 cells accommodated two prisoners (1,394 prisoners);
• 87 cells accommodated three prisoners (261 prisoners);
• 25 cells accommodated four or more prisoners (57 prisoners);
• 56 prisoners were required to slop out (1%);
• 1,621 prisoners were required to use the toilet facilities in the presence of another prisoner (43%);
• 2,105 had access to a private flush toilet or access to toilet facilities in private at all times.

Read the full findings of the census here