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Irish Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
Overcrowded jails spark ‘grave concerns' about safety of staff and inmates
The head of the Irish prison system warned the Department of Justice she had 'grave concerns' about the safety of staff and inmates because of dire overcrowding in jails. A letter sent by Irish Prison Service director general Caron McCaffrey in 2024 said the Minister needed to think carefully about the appointment of 20 new judges, which would lead to a further influx of prisoners the service could not cope with. 'Undoubtedly a large element of the current overcrowding crisis is directly related to the appointment of additional judges,' the letter read. '[This led to] the scheduling of over 600 extra court sittings this year, decisions taken when our prisons were already over capacity and not in a position to absorb the inevitable increase in committals safely.' READ MORE The correspondence was sent on a day in May last year when there were 4,960 people in the custody of the Irish Prison Service (IPS). That number has since risen as high as 5,400. Ms McCaffrey's letter has been released following an appeal to the Information Commissioner under Freedom of Information laws. She wrote: 'In the absence of an urgent decision [on temporary release measures], I need to advise you that I now have grave concerns in relation to the ability of this service to ensure the safety of both those who work and live in our prisons.' Ms McCaffrey said with nearly 5,000 people in custody, prisons were already operating with 'dangerous levels of overcrowding'. She said there had been a sharp increase in temporary release to relieve pressure but all of the main prisons were well above operational capacity. [ Provision of almost 1,000 extra prison places to be fast-tracked Opens in new window ] Ms McCaffrey also told the department that the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) was due to visit in the coming weeks, writing : '[They] will be scathing in their criticism of the conditions we are being forced to hold people in with over 200 people sleeping on mattresses on the floor this morning.' Ms McCaffrey said she wanted an urgent decision on new rules around who could and could not be given temporary release. She also asked for a commitment that no new measures would be introduced that would add to the burden, particularly then minister for justice Helen McEntee's wish to appoint 20 new judges 'with haste'. An earlier letter from Ms McCaffrey from February 2024 to the department said the prison system was now in an 'untenable, unacceptable and potentially unsafe situation' due to overcrowding. She said there was a real risk the IPS would not be able to produce all prisoners for court hearings, saying it was 'at a tipping point' in terms of its ability to fulfil that service. : She said every possible measure had been used to ease overcrowding including the recommissioning of small areas of prisons to provide extra beds, provision of bunk beds, and reopening of the Training Unit at Mountjoy in Dublin. 'Despite these efforts, numbers continue to grow to record levels,' she said.
BreakingNews.ie
2 days ago
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Irish prison service head sent letter to Justice Dept about 'grave concerns' over prison overcrowding
The head of the Irish prison system warned the Department of Justice she had 'grave concerns' about the safety of staff and inmates because of dire overcrowding in jails. She said the minister needed to think carefully about the appointment of 20 new judges, which would lead to a further influx of prisoners they could not cope with. Advertisement The letter, sent by Irish Prison Service Director General Caron McCaffrey, said: 'Undoubtedly, a large element of the current overcrowding crisis is directly related to the appointment of additional judges. '[This led to] the scheduling of over 600 extra court sittings this year, decisions taken when our prisons were already overcapacity and not in a position to absorb the inevitable increase in committals safely.' The correspondence was sent in 2024 on a day in May when there were 4,960 people in the custody of the Irish Prison Service (IPS); that number has since risen as high as 5,400. Ms McCaffrey's letter was addressed to one of the most senior officials in the Department of Justice, but has only now been released following an appeal to the Information Commissioner under FOI laws. Advertisement She wrote: 'In the absence of an urgent decision [on temporary release measures], I need to advise you that I now have grave concerns in relation to the ability of this service to ensure the safety of both those who work and live in our prisons.' Ms McCaffrey said with nearly 5,000 people in custody, they were already operating with 'dangerous levels of overcrowding.' She said there had been a sharp increase in temporary release to relieve pressure but that all of the main prisons were well above operational capacity. Ms McCaffrey also told the department that the Committee for Prevention of Torture were due to visit in the coming weeks. Advertisement She wrote: '[They] will be scathing in their criticism of the conditions we are being forced to hold people in with over 200 people sleeping on mattresses on the floor this morning.' The IPS Director General said she wanted an urgent decision on new rules around who could and could not be given temporary release. She also asked for a commitment that no new measures would be introduced that would add to the burden, particularly then Minister Helen McEntee's wish to appoint twenty new judges 'with haste.' An earlier letter from Ms McCaffrey from February last year to the department said that the prison system was now in an 'untenable, unacceptable and potentially unsafe situation' due to overcrowding. Advertisement She said there was a real risk the Irish Prison Service would not be able to produce all prisoners for court hearings. Her letter said: 'Current levels of overcrowding are exacerbated by resource constraints due to ever increasing demands for escorts. 'The Service is now at a tipping point in this respect in terms of its ability to fulfil all necessary escorts.' She said that every possible measure had been used to ease overcrowding including the recommissioning of small areas of prisons to provide extra beds, provision of bunk beds, and reopening of the Training Unit at Mountjoy in Dublin. 'Despite these efforts, numbers continue to grow to record levels,' she said.
Sunday World
06-05-2025
- Sunday World
Fourteen tattoo machines among haul of contraband seized in state's prisons
The revelation comes after fears were raised at the Prison Officer Association's annual delegate conference in Galway that a firearm could be smuggled by drone into an Irish prison Prisoners' tattoo pens were found in jails across the state, the Prison Officers Association's annual delegate conference was told Fourteen tattoo machines were among the massive haul of contraband seized in the state's prisons over the last year, the Sunday World has learned. The revelation comes after fears were raised at the Prison Officer Association's annual delegate conference in Galway that a firearm could be smuggled by drone into an Irish prison. Addressing this concern, Director General of the Irish Prison Service, Caron McCaffrey, said security of its staff is a top priority for the service. But she said the rapidly evolving nature of drone advancements has made technological solutions previously adopted often obsolete. This, she said, has led to the Irish Prison Service securing €5m in funding for steel nets over prison yards that cannot be burned through by drones. 'We have introduced technological solutions,' she said. 'Unfortunately, the rate and the scale in the pace of technological advancement means that no sooner have you a system that it becomes obsolete because technology has changed, so we're going back to basics, and the basics is metal netting over our exercise yards. 'We've done it in Portlaoise in the A Block which has been extremely successful. 'We've done in the D Yard in Mountjoy, and since we introduced that netting in the D Yard there hasn't been a single drone incursion,' she explained, adding that Wheatfield Prison will be next to have steel nets erected over its yard. 'On a regular basis we go internationally to look at what technologies are out there. 'There is not another prison service that we have found that has successfully implemented a system that can keep drones out. That's the issue and that's the difficulty,' she explained. One prison where a technological solution has been adopted is Guernsey Prison in the UK — where a system known as skyfence has been in operation since 2017. Speaking with reporters in January, the prison's governor John De Carteret said he's been impressed with the local system which has now been in place for nearly a decade. 'The prison skyfence has been a successful deterrent for Guernsey Prison since it was installed in 2017,' he said. 'It is still being used by the prison alongside other security precautions aimed at mitigating the risk of illicit items being conveyed into the establishment.' The drone defence system has been triggered intermittently, though not frequently, since 2017. 'I would, and have, recommended drone defence systems to other prisons, primarily because of the significant risk drones present to the safety and security of the custodial environment,' said Mr De Carteret. 'The system was installed as a pre-emptive security consideration due to the then emerging risk of drones to the prison. 'It was part of a larger security upgrade in Guernsey Prison at that time. 'The costs and continuing costs are commercially sensitive but it is invaluable in terms of proving adequate safety and security.' Contacted yesterday, a spokesperson for the Irish Prison Service said a wide array of technological systems had been reviewed. Emphasising he was not referring to any one system, he said due to the geographical location of many Irish prisons in built up areas, where drones disabled in the air could pose a danger to the public, such systems had been rejected. 'There are prisons across the estate located directly adjacent to housing estates, major road networks,' he said. 'There are no exclusion zones. 'Any system that could see drones being disabled and losing power outside the prison perimeter would be unsuitable for that reason,' the Prison Service spokesperson added.
Irish Times
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Head of Irish Prison Service defends surge in number of prisoners being released early
A doubling in the number of prisoners being released early, leading to allegations of a 'revolving door' system, has been defended by the head of the Irish Prison Service . Caron McCaffrey, the director general of the service, said the early releases were done in a controlled manner, with supports in place for those set free early. The number of prisoners currently on so-called temporary release – meaning they have been freed early and are not obliged to return to jail – is 595. That is double the rate of March, 2023, when the criteria for temporary release was relaxed as overcrowding worsened. Ms McCaffrey defended the increase, saying prisoner numbers would be much higher – more than the 5,300 at present – if the prison service did not have the power to grant early release. There is a 'finite' number of beds, in an already overcrowded prison system, and prisoners serving short sentences were at times released early to make way for new committals. READ MORE Plans to create 1,100 new prison spaces on existing prison campuses by 2030 would also help to alleviate overcrowding, she said. Most of those schemes had commenced through the planning or tendering processes, though Ms McCaffrey cautioned creating new prison spaces is very expensive. 'Our current annual cost per prison space is €100,000,' Ms McCaffrey said, speaking at the Prison Officers' Association (POA) annual conference in Galway city . 'And building prisons is extremely expensive. In relation to the extra 1,100 places, you're talking close to half a billion euro in terms of construction at today's costs.' Ms McCaffrey said she saw the 'benefits' of electronic tagging of prisoners if it were used as an alternative to remanding suspects in custody, after they are charged with crimes, pending their cases reaching the courts . 'The remand population has doubled in the last five years, we've almost 1,000 people on remand,' Ms McCaffrey said. 'And in certain circumstances we are releasing certain [sentenced] people to make way for the remand population because there's no potential for us to release anyone who is on remand.' She welcomed that Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan was now considering tagging as an alternative to remanding in custody, saying it was in place in other countries and would offer 'some respite' to the Irish prison system. Anyone in the community on a tag could be banned from specific places and may be subject to a curfew, all of which could be monitored. However, any intervention made by gardaí in cases of noncompliance would 'not necessarily be in real time'. [ Irish prisons at risk of 'tragic event' if overcrowding not fixed, warn prison officers Opens in new window ] The Irish Prison Service from 2014 had a contract in place with security company Chubb to run a tagging system to monitor prisoners on controlled early release programmes. Small numbers of prisoners were tagged and, because of the modest scale, the cost per prison was prohibitive and the system was discontinued after about five years. The POA has strongly criticised the Irish Prison Service over what it says is its slow response to drones being used to deliver drugs, mobile phones and knives to prisoners. Ms McCaffrey said significant work had been undertaken, including the installation of metal nets to prevent rope nets being burned by contraband being dropped from drones, having been first set on fire. 'We've installed metal nets over the exercise yards in Portlaoise , in the A block, and its been extremely successful and we've done it in the D yard in Mountjoy ,' Ms McCaffrey said of the section of the Dublin jail with criminals aligned to the Kinahan cartel are held. She added that since the new metal nets were installed in Mountjoy's D yard 'there hasn't been a single drone, so it's been incredibly successful'. The Garda and Irish Prison Service had, last Monday, also signed a memorandum of understanding around tackling crime, including drug smuggling, across the prison system. This included sharing intelligence about criminal gangs, preserving evidence of a crime being committed and disrupting drug smuggling into jails.
The Journal
02-05-2025
- The Journal
New ankle monitors could be an alternative to being held on remand, Irish prisons boss says
ANKLE MONITORS COULD soon be used an alternative to keeping people accused of crimes in prison while they await their trial to provide 'respite' for Ireland's overcrowded prisons. According to the Director General of the Irish Prison Service Caron McCaffrey, a new electronic tag system, managed by the State, will be primarily used for people awaiting trial in order to cut down on the number of people housed in Irish prisons. Roughly 20% of the daily prison population is made up of people awaiting or on trial, known as being held on remand. Due to the fact that someone on remand has not been convicted of a crime it is not possible for them to be granted temporary release. More and more prisoners who are convicted of minor crimes and are at a low risk of reoffending are being granted temporary release in order to alleviate overcrowding in Irish prisons, the Prison Officers' Association has claimed. As of yesterday, 5,308 people were in custody in the nation's prisons. 981 of that total were on remand, according to the official daily statistics from the Irish Prison Service . McCaffrey, who is the first woman to hold the position of Director General at the Irish Prison Service, said that it is hoped that the electronic tag system will provide 'respite' to the overcrowded prisons in Ireland. 'From my perspective, where I see benefits in terms of electronic monitoring is as an alternative to remand. The remand population [in Irish prisons] has more than doubled in the last five years,' she said. McCaffrey said that it is hoped that the electronic tag system will provide "respite" to the overcrowded prison service. Alamy Stock Alamy Stock She added: 'It is certainly something that I believe would give us some respite in relation to overcrowding. For example, the technology would allow people to be excluded from certain areas while they're awaiting trial. 'It would allow them to be at a certain address at certain periods of the day or the night and that certainly has the potential to reduce the number of people in custody.' Laws around the use of electronic tags have been approved in Ireland since 2007 and the devices were briefly used by the Irish Prison Service between 2013 and 2018 but were scrapped due to reported value-for-money concerns . Within that time, over 100 people were placed on an electronic tag primarily for monitoring convicted prisoners during temporary release. A third-party, insurance firm Chubb, was tasked the managing the system at the time. Since then, McCaffrey said that the temporary release programme has instead been partnered with support mechanisms, such as therapy or addiction resources, and that the new tagging regime will target those on remand and newly-released sex offenders. She said similar support services may also be extended to those placed on ankle monitors. Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan yesterday announced that he was personally commiting to introducing electronic tags by the end of this year. The minister said the procurement process, or the purchase of the devices, has yet to be finalised but should be completed this year. McCaffrey said she understands the government is developing the proper use procedures and protocols for the devices. Advertisement Support service waiting lists The head of the Irish Prison Service said up to 2,000 people are currently on waiting lists to access psychology support services. There are also smaller waiting lists for other services, such as addiction therapy, education and training programmes. Unfortunately, she said, there are cases where prisoners are released without being seen to. 'We've significantly increased out psychology service. We've increased the level of staff and our psychology service by 50%. But at any one time our psychology service is providing a service to 600 people, but there's over 2,000 people on the waiting list. 'Many of whom have never accessed any treatment of services in the community and many people, unfortunately, who leave our custody go back to the community without having gotten the treatment they need,' she said. McCaffrey said, unfortunately, some prisoners are released before receiving the care that they need. McCaffrey said a 'whole of government approach' is needed in order to boost services such as education, training and therapy in prisons in order to improve the level of treatment to people in custody, 'particularly where there's mental health or addiction issues'. She said roughly 80% of the prison population present to the service on arrival with pre-existing addiction problems. The same amount of people are on short-term sentences, between six and 12 months. Speaking to the Irish Prison Officers' Association's Annual Conference in Galway yesterday, Minister O'Callaghan said that Irish prisons need to be made 'fit for purpose' and that includes identifying methods to cut down on overcrowding and add more beds. Asked by The Journal if she believes Irish prisons are fit for purpose, McCaffrey defended the service's record and its advocacy for people in custody to seek care for issues such as addiction. 'I'm incredibly proud of our prisons. I'm incredibly proud of our staff. And every staff member from our prison officers, our managers, our psychologists, our nurses, our doctors, our teachers, all our in-reach services, our headquarters staff,' she said. 'Prisons in Ireland are incredibly safe,' she said. 'When you look in comparison to other jurisdictions, our prisons are incredibly safe. Relationships are incredible between our staff and our prisoners.' She said the difficulty for determining whether prisons are 'fit for purpose' depends on the interpretation of a prison's 'purpose' but she acknowledged that a lack of treatment or intervention increases the risk of reoffending. As a result of that acknowledgment, staff within the prison service are being upskilled and trained on methods to provide and assist in the care of prisoners with mental health issues, she said. A peer-led approach to addiction counselling has been launched at Mountjoy Prison in Dublin. Alamy, file Alamy, file Additionally, a pilot programme has been launched in Mountjoy Prison in Dublin which trains and educates prisoners on providing addiction care in a peer-led manner to others. 'The aim was to use people, who dealt with their addiction while in custody and came out the other side, as peer-mentors and to give them the training to be able to support other people in custody to address their addiction. 'I definitely believe that somebody's time in custody presents an ideal opportunity to deal with their addiction, that they might never get at any other stage of their life.' Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
