95 inmates without beds in Cork Prison

Overcrowding at Cork Prison reached another record high, with 95 people sleeping on the floor yesterday.

Up to 10 additional bed spaces are to come on-stream at Cork Prison, with new cells to be constructed at the existing prison facility this year.

Meanwhile, the old prison, which closed in 2016, is set to be demolished, and a new 330-bed facility will be built in its place by 2031.

Fianna Fáil TD for Cork North Central Pádraig O’Sullivan told The Echo that expansion is needed. “In the medium term, we need to expand the prison footprint considerably and add the much needed extension that the minister has said is required,” he said.

A report by the Cork Prison Visiting Committee, based on visits to the prison two years ago, said that 2023 was “a very challenging year for the Irish Prison Service and in Cork with increasing numbers and prisoners having to sleep on the floor”.

“Prisoners sleeping on the floor is a serious concern for all,” said the report.

“We are seeing more and more people being sent to our prisons. This has had a knock-on effect on the amount of time and number of officers required for court escort duty. As a result, this has a serious impact on prisoners in the area including rehabilitation, health care, occupational activity, and time out of cell, also a lot of the modern workshops in Cork are rarely open and this also isn’t helped by the shortage of work training officers.”

In 2023, the average number of people in custody was 306. Yesterday, 391 people were in Cork Prison, representing 132% capacity.