LAST YEAR SAW the highest level of deaths in custody on record since the Office of the Inspector of Prisons (OIP) began producing investigative reports in 2012.

Thirty-one people died in custody in 2024, which is more than 50% higher than the number of deaths reported in 2023. 

The OIP has cited overcrowding, mental health pressures and gaps in the provision of healthcare as contributing factors. 

The Chief Inspector has called for immediate intervention as the 2024 report from the watchdog has revealed that our jails have reached a “breaking point” in terms of overcrowding. 

Mark Kelly today said that people within the Irish prison system are living in “inhumane and degrading” conditions in some cases, and that the level of overcrowding is impacting prisoners’ mental health.

“Currently, Ireland’s prison population exceeds more than 5,600, of whom 500 are being obliged to sleep on mattresses on the floor,” Kelly said. 

He added: “These are clear symptoms of a prison system that has breached its capacity. No comparable jurisdiction has ever succeeded in building its way out of overcrowding, and immediate action is required, at the highest political levels, to address this ongoing crisis”.

During inspections of Arbour Hill Prison in 2024, the OIP found that the practice of doubling cells has resulted in many prisoners having less than 4 m² of living space, which falls below the standards outlined by the Council of Europe’s European Committee for the Prevention of Torture. 

It was also found that toilets in the cells were not partitioned and some lacked lids, while some lower bunk beds were located just 40 cm and 60 cm from open loos. 

Arbour Hill Prison was operating at 98% capacity when inspectors visited in March of last year, while the Midlands Prison was operating at 112% capacity in June/July. 

An inspection of the Midlands Prison found that men were in “inhumane conditions” as overcrowding meant that an average of 31 men were sleeping on mattresses on the floor during the inspection. 

“Occupants often ate meals on the floor next to unpartitioned toilets,” the report said. 

Inspectors found that the National Violence Reduction Unit was predominantly security focused with very little therapeutic engagement for people there, as only 50% of those living there were engaged with psychology services. 

They also said that there appeared to be no structured progression plans in place for men in the unit. 

Limerick Women’s Unit was found to be at 144% capacity when inspected in November 2024.

However, the standard of accommodation at the prison was “excellent” and access to healthcare services was generally “very good”. 

But inspectors said that the level of overcrowding was impacting the physical, psychological and emotional safety of the women living there. 

Meanwhile, in Cloverhill Prison, inspectors who visited in December 2024 found that 168 of the 491 men there were living four to a cell in rooms designed for a maximum of three people. 

The number of men sleeping on mattresses on the floor had increased from 51 to 68 since the last inspection. 

The vast majority of people imprisoned there were found to be living in degrading conditions. 

Some men had to eat standing due to a lack of chairs, while the limited time set aside for showers on each floor daily meant that not all men were able to shower every day.