The Irish prison system is in crisis as overcrowding continues to spiral out of control, according to Social Democrats justice spokesperson Gary Gannon.
The Dublin Central TD was speaking after The Irish Penal Reform Trust said that the Irish prison system is “overstretched, overwhelmed and inhumane.”
“We’ve known this for some time now, and the situation continues to degrade,” the Dublin Central TD said.
“There is no doubt that our prison system is in crisis – the situation has deteriorated since June of this year, when the prison population exceeded 5,000 people for the first time.”
“5,700 people are currently in prison – more than 600 are sleeping on mattresses on the floor, a 300% increase in a year,” he noted.
“Almost two thirds of prisoners have to use the toilet in front of another person, while those sleeping on the floor face hygiene issues due to their proximity to cell toilets – this is blatantly inhumane.
“Expanding prison capacity will not fix systemic failures in Ireland’s justice system – short custodial sentences don’t reduce reoffending, but properly resourced youth diversion schemes and community sanctions do.
“The vast majority of people sent to prison are serving sentences of 12 months or less, far too many committals are for petty crime, and 1 in 5 people in prison are on remand. The current system is not keeping communities safe, it is warehousing people.
“2024 saw a 55% increase in deaths in Irish prisons – this is not a crisis we can build our way out of,” he noted.
“The Minister for Justice has proposed expanding community-based sanctions, which is welcome, but it means nothing without major investment in the Probation Service, proper judicial data on compliance, and feedback loops on what works.
“We should also be putting in place bail support schemes for adults, to reduce unnecessary remand and help people stay engaged with services, work, and family while awaiting trial.
“It is clear that a step change is needed in how we view our penal system – the Minister for Justice must take a different approach to the future of our prisons.”