A second prison is not the answer says campaigner

Conditions for vulnerable inmates forced to share a cell inside Cork Prison have been described as “inhumane, undignified, and degrading” by a prisoners’ rights campaigner.

Saoirse Brady, Executive Director of the Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) said Cork Prison is currently operating at 124% capacity with 64 people left with no other option but to sleep on a mattress on the floor near a shared toilet.

Ms Brady also said reports from the Office of the Inspector of Prisons have indicated that at times inmates in Cork prison with serious mental health issues who have to be accommodated in the Vulnerable Persons Unit have had to double up in a single cell.

“Current unacceptable conditions in shared cells are so demeaning and no one should have to endure them,” she told the Cork Independent.

“To be very clear, the deprivation of someone’s liberty is the punishment they face, and their basic rights should not be infringed,” added Ms Brady.

Last month, Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan TD brought a proposal before cabinet to demolish the unused old Cork Prison and build a new one in its place in a move to address the current prison overcrowding crisis in Cork.

However, Ms Brady said the IPRT firmly believes that creating more prison space will neither reduce crime levels, nor will it fix prison overcrowding.

She said: “IPRT is clear, as are others, that we can't build our way out of the overcrowding crisis.

“Evidence shows that increasing the size of and numbers in our prisons does not - and will not - reduce levels of crime. It merely serves to widen the criminal justice net.

“Continuing to focus on expanding existing large-scale institutions or creating new ones like the one proposed in Cork, serves no one’s interests and puts more pressure on already overstretched services and communities,” added Ms Brady.

A public opinion poll commissioned by the IPRT last year found that four out of five people are open to reforms within the criminal justice system that would tackle overcrowding through alternatives to imprisonment, specifically in the case of people who commit non-violent offences.

Ms Brady continued: “Focusing on alternatives to custody that could really make inroads in addressing crime, putting in place and resourcing community supports that would help change offending behaviour, and exploring smaller-scale detention models or more open prison spaces could all be more effective in the longer-run.”

Responding to concerns raised over plans to build a new prison in Cork, a spokesperson for the Department of Justice said that a renewed capital plan to deliver over 1,500 new prison spaces will look to make “optimal use of existing sites”.

The spokesperson said: “In order to meet demand, it has been necessary to consider the options for the old Cork Prison site to house a new prison. Given the estimated completion date of 2031, planning for the project is still at a very early stage.”

Regarding changes to the current penal system, Minister O’Callaghan said he is committed to progressing and implementing policies aimed at increasing the use of community sanctions, reducing offending, diverting people away from the criminal justice system, and providing effective rehabilitation.

The minister recently approved the publication of the Community Service - New Directions Implementation Plan 2025-2027 by the Probation Service.

He has also secured approval for the drafting of the Criminal Law and Civil Law 2025 which includes a range of measures aimed at improving operational capacity in prisons and bolstering sentencing options to reduce reliance on custodial sentences. This includes a number of proposed amendments to the Community Service Act 1983 to encourage greater use of community service orders.

The spokesperson said: “At present, a judge is obliged to consider imposing a community service order if otherwise considering a custodial sentence of up to 12 months’ imprisonment. The minister is proposing this threshold be increased from 12 to 24 months. The minister is also proposing to double from 240 to 480 the maximum community service hours that may be ordered.”