Number of prisoners in Cork who partake in education programmes among lowest in Ireland

Numbers of prisoners in Cork prison who partake in education programmes were among the lowest in Ireland last year, the Irish Prison Service’s 2023 Annual Report has shown.

The report highlights a number of positive initiatives such as the National Adult Literacy Agency’s Peer to Peer Literacy Ambassador Programme, designed to help those in the prison system with unmet literacy needs, and rolled out across eight locations in the Irish Prison System including Cork.

However, it also shows that an average of 35% of people in Cork prison were participating in education during the last three months of 2023 when the data was compiled, below the national average of 45% and less than half of the figures seen in Arbour Hill and Loughan House prisons.

The numbers either working or participating in training programmes were again among the lowest in the country at 15-16%.

The report notes: “There are over 120 workshops and service activities across the prison estate with a current work station capacity (including gyms) of 1,784.

“Work and Training provides purposeful activity during time spent in custody and provides valuable skills to assist the offender in getting gainful employment on release. A wide range of training workshops operate within the institutions e.g. printing, hairdressing, braille, woodwork, metalwork, construction, industrial cleaning, crafts and horticulture.

“The Work Training function, staffed by Irish Prison Service Work Training Officers, comprises such essential services as catering and laundry services.”

The report added: “Workshops occasionally operate on restricted hours due to the unavailability of staff.”

Prisoner numbers increased from 2022 to 2023, the report shows, and daily figures published by the prison service show significant further increases in 2024, which can leave staffing stretched. The average number in custody in Cork prison in 2023 was 306, slightly above the prison’s capacity of 296, according to the report.

However, in 2024, figures have been consistently higher, reaching a record of 365 in custody at the end of November, suggesting that an even smaller percentage of the prison might have access to education, work and training programmes this year.

Nationally, the overall daily average number of prisoners in custody in 2023 increased by 11.1% (+460), with the daily population reaching 4,582, compared to 4,122 in 2022. Additionally, the number of committals to prison increased by 12.7% (+895) compared to the previous year.

The Irish Prison Service, director General, Caron McCaffrey said: “As we look to the future, the introduction of our strategic plans will guide us through the ongoing challenges of rising prisoner numbers and capacity constraints, ensuring that we continue to deliver services that prioritise rehabilitation, community reintegration, and the safety of both staff and prisoners.”