Latest news with #CaronMcCaffrey
Irish Post
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Post
Ireland's prisons are reaching breaking point
OVERCROWDING in Irish prisons is spiralling out of control, in what experts are calling a national 'crisis'. With facilities operating at nearly 120% capacity, over 400 inmates are currently sleeping on floors. This mirrors a broader trend across Europe, where the prison population grew by almost 4% in 2023 alone. Tougher sentencing laws and years of underinvestment in prison infrastructure have all added to the problems facing the prison service today. While the government has announced plans to build 1,500 additional spaces, insiders and unions warn that construction delays and rising inmate numbers mean this alone won't solve the problem. 'The system is beyond stretched. Staff shouldn't be working in these conditions,' said Irish Prison Officers Association President Tony Power, who has called for urgent investment in current facilities. Rehabilitation services are also suffering. Nearly 2,000 inmates are waiting for access to psychological care, addiction treatment, education, and vocational training. The Director General of the Irish Prison Service, Caron McCaffrey, acknowledged that some prisoners are released before receiving essential support and urged for a coordinated government response to boost in-prison services. In an effort to manage numbers, the Prison Service has expanded its temporary release programme for non-violent offenders. While controversial, officials argue it is a necessary safety measure. Critics, however, view it as a short-term fix that fails to address systemic problems. Professor Tom O'Malley SC, a leading authority on sentencing law, suggests that courts could consider reduced sentences as a form of judicial accountability - a practice already used in Britain during the COVID pandemic. Prisons are facing new and complex security threats as well. Criminals are using high-tech drones to smuggle drugs and phones into Irish prisons, taking advantage of a lack of aerial surveillance due to aviation regulations. Other European nations are also grappling with similar problems. French prisons reached record high in population figures this year, with thousands sleeping on the floor. In contrast, Spain has adopted a more rehabilitative model with promising results - 80% of released prisoners there do not reoffend. The Irish Penal Reform Trust has urged the government to treat imprisonment as a last resort, advocating instead for alternatives like community service and supervised release. With violence and deaths in custody rising, experts warn that the system is drifting away from its purpose to correct and rehabilitate people for a productive life in a peaceful society. See More: Caron McCaffrey, Irish Prison Service, Overcrowding, Prison
Extra.ie
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Extra.ie
Jailing of undocumented migrants ‘will lead to early release of high-risk criminals'
The Department of Justice was warned a crackdown on undocumented immigrants would lead to more serious and high-risk criminals being temporarily released from jail. The head of the Irish Prison Service (IPS) said a garda decision to bring charges against individuals arriving in Ireland without valid documents was contributing to 'unsafe and unmanageable' levels of overcrowding. In a letter to a senior department official obtained under Freedom of Information legislation, IPS Director General Caron McCaffrey noted that in normal circumstances low-risk offenders on short sentences were the first to be offered temporary release. The Department of Justice was warned a crackdown on undocumented immigrants would lead to more serious and high-risk criminals being temporarily released from jail. Pic: Fran Veale She said this would normally include those in custody for immigration offences but that the Department of Justice had made a deliberate policy decision to keep them in jail. Ms McCaffrey said that, while the move was 'understandable', it was adding to the immense pressure on the Irish prison system. She wrote: '[It] will unfortunately necessitate the early release of more serious and high-risk offenders to make space in already overcrowded prisons [instead of] offenders deemed to be low risk from a re-offending and community safety perspective.' Ms McCaffrey also warned the Prison Service was heading into a 'catastrophic period' and that numbers in custody were reaching new highs every day. She said if changes were not made, there was 'real potential to result in violent disorder within our prisons threatening the safety and wellbeing of both our staff and those in our care'. The Director General said the Irish Prison Service had exhausted all options around the temporary release (TR) of low-risk offenders. She said the department needed to look at temporary release for 'medium-risk to high-risk sentenced offenders', which would have to apply to criminals including 'prolific' burglars and individuals who were convicted of assault on gardaí or peace officers. Ms McCaffrey urged the Department to look at options for temporary release of sex offenders, especially those who are at low risk of offending. Under existing rules, sex offenders are ineligible for temporary release and no change has been made to this policy since the letter was sent. As the prisons boss acknowledged to the Department: 'It is recognised that this is a difficult category due to the victim issues and the fact that people convicted of a sex offence pose a low risk of very serious harm while other types of offenders pose a high risk of less-serious harm. 'However, other categories being considered for temporary release as part of crisis measures pose a much greater risk to public safety,' she added. Caron McCaffrey Ms McCaffrey said this was particularly relevant for historic convictions and older sex offenders, some of whom were 'medically dependent' people and actively engaging in rehabilitation. She also called for more flexibility around the use of 'open prisons' for long-serving prisoners. Under existing rules, only those serving sentences of less than eight years could be transferred to an open centre such as Loughan House or Shelton Abbey meaning spaces were not always being used in an optimal way. Ms McCaffrey also called for a reduction in the number of people being remanded to custody rather than granted bail. She said there was a particular need for a bail supervision scheme for female offenders, with the country's two women's prisons in Dublin and Limerick operating above capacity. Ms McCaffrey also asked the Department to press ahead with efforts for reopening of the disused Curragh Prison on Defence Forces land in Co. Kildare. Her letter concluded: 'Overall, we are in an extremely difficult situation that we anticipate will only get worse without urgent decisions being made.' Asked about the correspondence, a spokesman for the Irish Prison Service said they had nothing further to add.
The Irish Sun
15-06-2025
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
Stark immigrants crackdown alert as prison boss warns move risks high-risk criminals being released due to overcrowding
JUSTICE chiefs were warned a crackdown on undocumented immigrants would lead to more serious and high-risk criminals being freed from jail. Irish 2 Irish Prison Service boss Caron McCaffrey shared her concerns with the Department of Justice 2 The note said the IPS was heading into a 'catastrophic period' and that numbers in custody were reaching new highs every day Credit: Getty Images - Getty She said a Ms McCaffrey told a senior official that normally low risk offenders on short sentences were the first to be offered temporary release. This would include those in custody for She said that while the move was 'understandable', it was adding to the immense pressure on the prison system. READ MORE IN IRISH NEWS Her letter said: '[It] will unfortunately necessitate the early release of more serious and high-risk offenders to make space in already overcrowded prisons [instead of] offenders deemed to be low risk from a re-offending and community safety perspective.' The note — sent in February 2024, but only just released under FoI laws — said the IPS was heading into a 'catastrophic period' and that numbers in custody were reaching new highs every day. Ms McCaffrey asked for urgent changes in temporary release, saying the IPS had exhausted all options around freeing low-risk lags. She said they must look at freeing 'medium to high-risk sentenced offenders'. MOST READ IN THE IRISH SUN And she urged the Department to look at allowing Ms McCaffrey said: 'It is recognised that this is a difficult category due to the victim issues and the fact that people convicted of a sex offence pose a low risk of very serious harm while other types of offenders pose a high risk of less serious harm. 'However, other categories being considered for temporary release as part of crisis measures pose a much greater risk to public safety.' The IPS had no comment.
Irish Independent
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Irish Prison Service warns Department of Justice that prisons are overcrowded
The head of the Irish Prison Service (IPS) wrote to the department saying a garda decision to bring charges against individuals arriving in Ireland without valid passports was contributing to 'unsafe and unmanageable' levels of overcrowding in Irish jails. It is a criminal offence to arrive in this country without a valid travel document, punishable by up to 12 months in prison or a €3,000 fine. That penalty was introduced by the Immigration Act 2004, but it has only been rigorously enforced in recent times, following a crackdown once the numbers of people arriving here without documents began to rise. In a letter to a senior department official, released under the Freedom of Information Act, IPS director general Caron McCaffrey said that, in normal circumstances, low-risk offenders on short sentences were the first to be offered temporary release. She said this would normally include those in custody for immigration offences but the Department of Justice had made a deliberate policy decision to keep them in jail. Her letter stated: 'It will unfortunately necessitate the early release of more serious and high-risk offenders to make space in already overcrowded prisons, instead of offenders deemed to be low risk, from a reoffending and community safety perspective.' She said the IPS was heading into a 'catastrophic period' and numbers in custody were reaching new highs every day. The letter was sent in February 2024 but was withheld by the IPS under Freedom of Information laws until recent weeks. Ms McCaffrey also asked for urgent changes in the operation of temporary release and what type of criminals it could be applied to. She said that if changes were not made, there was the 'real potential to result in violent disorder within our prisons, threatening the safety and well-being of both our staff and those in our care.' She said they had exhausted all options around the temporary release of low-risk offenders and added that the department needed to look at temporary release for 'medium to high-risk sentenced offenders', which would have to apply to criminals including 'prolific' burglars and individuals convicted of assault on gardaí or peace officers. Ms McCaffrey called on the department to look at options for temporary release of sex offenders, especially those at low risk of offending. Under existing rules, sex offenders are ineligible for temporary release and no change has been made to this policy since the letter was sent. 'It is recognised that this is a difficult category due to the victim issues and the fact that people convicted of a sex offence pose a low risk of very serious harm, while other types of offenders pose a high risk of less serious harm,' she said. 'However, other categories being considered for temporary release as part of crisis measures pose a much greater risk to public safety.' She said this was particularly relevant for historic convictions and older sex offenders, some of whom were 'medically dependent' and actively engaging in rehabilitation. She also called for more flexibility around the use of open prisons for long-serving prisoners. Under existing rules, only those serving sentences of less than eight years could be transferred to an open centre such as Loughan House or Shelton Abbey, meaning spaces were not always being used in an optimal way. She called for a reduction in the number of people being remanded in custody, and said there was a particular need for a bail supervision scheme for female offenders, with the country's two women's prisons in Dublin and Limerick operating above capacity. She also asked that the department press ahead with its efforts to reopen the disused Curragh Prison in Co Kildare.
The Irish Sun
12-06-2025
- Business
- The Irish Sun
Irish Prison Service to spend €4m on dressing gowns, underwear, anoraks & pink t-shirts for over 5.4k inmates
THE Irish Prison Service is set to spend €4 million on clothes for inmates including dressing gowns, underwear and pink t-shirts. 2 Caron McCaffrey wrote to the Department of Justice to warn about the dangers of overcrowding The tender is worth €1 million a year for the next four years with the prison service seeking a range of clothes for inmates with specific details on colour and material. For example, the tender seeks thousands of white polo neck t-shirts for male inmates along with crew neck t-shirts that are pink for female lags. The company that bags the contract will also have to provide red anoraks for prisoners, with the prison service requesting that the jackets should have no pockets and no hoods. Thousands of pairs of underwear are also to be supplied under the contract with polyester and cotton boxer shorts for men that are white in colour. Read more in News For women, the tender seeks mixed colour underwear that are 100 per cent cotton and have frill elasticated waists. The contract will also purchase dressing gowns, pyjamas, tracksuits and leggings for prisoners. Runners will also need to be provided that are secured by straps instead of laces. The business that wins the contract will be asked to deliver clothes to all 14 prisons across the country including the stores at Ireland's only maximum security jail in MOST READ ON THE IRISH SUN The €1 million a year tender is actually a drop in the price from what the prison service were willing to pay for clothes the last time they issued this tender. Gardai release video showing secret smuggling compartment in lorry caught with €10.6m of cocaine In 2020, the IPS were offering €1.3 million a year for prisoners' clothing as they sought thousands of t-shirts, runners, socks and sets of pyjamas. It comes as the head of the Irish Prison Service Caron McCaffrey wrote to the Department of Justice to warn about the dangers to staff and inmates due to the current overcrowding crisis. The latest figures show that there are 5,413 prisoners in Irish prisons with 404 of these inmates sleeping on mattresses on the floor because there are not enough beds. Prison service boss Caron McCaffrey warned the Department: '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.' 2 Ireland's only maximum security prison in Portlaoise will also receive clothing supplies Credit: Garrett White - The Sun
