Disappointment at plan to build new prison in Cork but ‘few alternatives’

The Irish Penal Reform Trust has expressed disappointment that the Government is planning to build a new prison in Cork, saying this goes against previous commitments.

It comes as the Taoiseach said “there are few alternatives” available.

Earlier this week, Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan briefed the Cabinet on plans to demolish the old prison and build a new one on the site.

Once the new unit, set to cater for 230 male and 100 female inmates, is in place, Cork Prison will have the capacity for roughly 636 prisoners.

This includes the 330 new spaces, 296 bed spaces in the current prison, and an extra 10 which are part of a short-term capital project for reconfiguring areas into living accommodation.

There were 353 people in Cork Prison yesterday, representing 119% capacity, and meaning that 57 of those people were without beds. Saoirse Brady, executive director of the IPRT, told The Echo that they welcome the news that the old Cork Prison is seen as not fit for purpose and will be demolished, but said “the continued focus on prison expansion is not the answer”.

“Prison should always be a sanction of last resort,” she said, adding that the recent steps by Mr O’Callaghan to extend and expand the use of community service orders “could make a huge difference” in reducing the record prison population.

“We are disappointed that the Government intends to build a new prison in Cork when so many other non-custodial options could be explored first,” she said.

“The fact is that additional prison spaces coming onstream in 2031 will do absolutely nothing to address today’s prison overcrowding crisis or provide a bed for the 50-plus people sleeping on a mattress on the floor of Cork Prison.

“Given the rising cost of building, coupled with the soaring annual cost for a single prison space to almost €100,000, this type of significant investment should be focused on reducing imprisonment rates and redirecting resources to social services, mental health treatment, and community-based sanctions.”

She added that as recently as 2022, the Department of Justice stated that “there should be a sparing approach to the use of imprisonment” and made a commitment to explore placing the principle of prison as a last resort on a statutory footing.

News of the plans for the prison was met with dismay by some public representatives, including Labour Party councillor John Maher and Sinn Féin TD Thomas Gould, who said that it was not fair on their constituents that the size of the prison would more than double when they had been given commitments to the contrary when the old prison closed in 2016.

Speaking to The Echo yesterday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he understood that residents of the Glen were saying they did not want a second prison in their locality.

“I appreciate that and I appreciate the concerns that people have,” he said.

However, he added: “There is a huge pressure on prison spaces.

“The minister for justice is responding in the immediate short term and medium term to provide additional spaces, to make sure the criminal justice system is fit for purpose — that when people are sentenced in court, that there is a prison for them.

“So, it is not an easy choice,” said Mr Martin.

“But in the immediate sense, there are few alternatives [available] to the minister.”