'An alarming number': More than 400 inmates at Cork Prison for first time ever

There were more than 400 people in Cork Prison for the first time ever yesterday, despite the prison only having capacity for fewer than 300 inmates.

There were 403 people in the prison yesterday, a jump of seven from the previous day, and four more than the previous record of 399 set on August 8.

Over a quarter (27%) of people incarcerated in the prison currently do not have a bed, with 107 more inmates currently imprisoned than the 296 the prison has capacity for.

Nationally, the Irish prison system is operating at 119% capacity, with 5,545 inmates and only 4,672 beds across Ireland — Cork Prison is the most overcrowded male prison by a significant margin.

Fine Gael TD for Cork North Central Colm Burke said additional judges were appointed in the court system, “which means criminal cases are being processed faster, but that now means we need to have additional accommodation”.

“Any overcrowding situation is always going to be difficult, but we need to try and find the solution,” he said.

“We need the development of new facilities to accommodate the numbers, whatever space can be delivered in the fastest timeframe.”

“We need to go through a planning process, get a design — it won’t be done overnight, it will take at least three years,” Mr Burke continued.

Fianna Fáil TD Pádraig O’Sullivan added: “It’s imperative that the extension of the prison happens to ensure that we can continue to house criminals appropriately, and to ensure prisoners can serve the sentences meted out to them.

“We need to ensure that lack of prison capacity is never a factor considered by the judiciary when determining sentences.”

Caitríona Twomey of Cork Penny Dinners told The Echo that it was essential that services such as classes, workshops, and the gym could be delivered while there were so many prisoners, and also that staff were looked after.

A former inmate recently told The Echo that the gym was closed and workshops and classes were cancelled frequently because they did not have officers available, a “knock-on effect from the overcrowding”.

Ms Twomey said: “It’s very difficult for the governor and the staff, and it’s difficult for those who are in prison; 403 is an alarming number, and the numbers just seem to keep rising. The Government has to start listening to the Prison Service, because they are the ones on the ground, so they have the solutions.

“We meet and talk to people who say it’s hard up there when they haven’t enough beds, and classes and AA meetings are all affected — that’s detrimental, because people need to attend these things for their rehabilitation.

“Cork Prison is very good about rehabilitation and giving people a second chance, but they can’t do that if they don’t have the capacity because of these overcrowding issues.

“Most of their time is probably taken up with wondering how do they get through another night.

“It’s no fault of the prison and the staff — they do great work piloting things like the Open Door pop-up restaurant, which is really beneficial, that’s the sort of thing you don’t want affected.”

A spokesperson for the IPS said: “The Irish Prison Service must accept into custody all people committed to prison by the courts. As such, the Irish Prison Service has no control over the numbers committed to custody at any given time.”