Overcrowding reaches record numbers at Limerick Prison

OVERCROWDING has reached record levels at Limerick’s newly developed prison worth €70m.

According to figures released by the Irish Prison Service, on Tuesday, January 9, the prisoner population of Limerick’s female prison was at 121% of the bed capacity - meaning there were 86 individuals incarcerated with only 56 available beds.

Limerick’s male prison also saw high numbers on January 9, with 355 prisoners detained in facilities to sleep 286 - or 108% of the bed capacity.

It comes just months after €70m was spent developing the B Division in Limerick’s male prison and the G wing for the new Limerick female prison, which was finished last October.

According to a spokesperson from the Irish Prison Service, following the return to “normal activity” in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, the prison system has experienced “significant pressure with many locations, including the Limerick female prison, operating above their stated bed capacity.”

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“The Irish Prison Service is working closely with the Department of Justice to ensure a safe working environment for staff and the safety and security of prisoners in custody,” the spokesperson said.

“The Irish Prison Service is taking a number of short and medium-term steps to address the issue of increasing prison numbers including the development of plans to add additional spaces across the estate,” they added.

Saoirse Brady, executive director of the Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT), said that they were concerned that the new facility was designed so that cells could be doubled up flagging fears of overcrowding.

“Our fears have been realised as these new facilities are already overcrowded and operating beyond capacity,” Ms Brady said.

“What we’re seeing now is prison overcrowding as the norm across Ireland,” she added.