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Irish Examiner
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Northside jail rates spark ministerial review as prison plans face local opposition
The Minister of State for rural and community development has asked officials in the department to examine the findings of a major Irish Examiner investigation into who is being jailed in Cork and why. Jerry Buttimer said it was 'disconcerting' to read how, despite decades of targeted government investment in areas of the city officially classed as 'disadvantaged,' these areas still account for the highest number of jail terms imposed — and that this needs to be examined. The analysis of almost 1,500 jail terms imposed in Cork courts over the last five years found that seven northside suburbs were in the top 10 for the number of jail terms imposed. These areas align closely with parts of the city classed as 'disadvantaged' or 'very disadvantaged' in the 2022 Pobal Deprivation Index. These areas have higher rates of unemployment and lone parenting, and lower rates of school completion and third-level participation. The Irish Examiner analysis also found that people living on the northside received, on average, longer jail terms than those with an address on the southside. It revealed that homeless people received almost a quarter of the jail sentences handed down in the city courts over five years, and that addiction or substance abuse was cited in almost three-quarters of the cases analysed. Theft, assault, public order, and drugs offences were the most frequently mentioned in the city courts, with men accounting for 87% of all jail terms. Men's sentences were, on average, twice as long as those imposed on women. Mr Buttimer congratulated the Irish Examiner for the investigation, describing it as 'an important piece of work.' Jerry Buttimer said it was 'disconcerting' to read how, despite decades of targeted government investment in areas of the city officially classed as 'disadvantaged,' these areas still account for the highest number of jail terms imposed. Picture: Daragh Mc Sweeney While he highlighted several positive examples of family and youth projects involving the Irish Prison Service, local resource centres, and the Cork ETB aimed at addressing recidivism, he acknowledged there is still a major problem. 'I've spoken to officials in my own department in community rural development on how we can ensure that there is, with Pobal, a piece of work done so that we can ensure that the investment we are putting in is paying dividends, in terms of people not being institutionalised in prison,' he said. 'We also have to work with different organisations to ensure there is a pathway to education, to safer streets, to rehabilitation from drug and alcohol misuse. 'But it is disconcerting to see that despite the vast sums of money spent by Government over generations, over decades, there is a map that illustrates a clear issue that we have to have a clear conversation on. 'I've asked people in my department to look at that as well.' The research comes as opposition grows on the city's northside to recent government plans to repurpose the old Cork Prison building to provide around 300 new prison spaces. Tánaiste Simon Harris said the government will engage with the local community on the plan, but stated that his 'high-level instinct' is that the State's prison capacity must be increased—and quickly. That increased capacity, he said, would provide the space for education and training programmes aimed at tackling the revolving door problem in the prison system. 'Providing adequate prison space, having it properly staffed and adequately resourced, provides that space or an environment within the prison where there can be a focus on ending the revolving door, by saying to people, how are you going to get your life back on track,' he said. 'Our population has grown and grown very significantly in recent years. 'We in the Oireachtas voted to increase the sentencing - that people who carry out heinous crimes should pay in terms of the time in prison, and that does require extra prison spaces. 'The minister for justice has an important role to do in bringing that extra space on track as quickly as possible. 'Having said that, any process has to engage with communities. 'Any process has to be conscious of the views of communities, and this government will absolutely engage with the community in relation to that. 'But we want to make sure our streets are safe, we want to make sure crime never pays, and one of the greatest deterrents to crime is people knowing there is enough prison capacity and if I commit a crime, I'm have a decent chance of going to prison." Read More From northside to southside: What your address means when the gavel falls in Cork
Irish Post
5 days ago
- 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
The Irish Sun
18-06-2025
- The Irish Sun
Violent criminal, 38, jailed for face slashing attacks among 4 prisoners hospitalised after overdose at Mountjoy prison
A VIOLENT criminal serving a lengthy sentence for slashing the faces of a man and a woman in separate blade attacks was hospitalised with three others after overdosing behind bars. The Irish Sun has learned that thug Jonathan Cummins, 38, was An Irish Prison Service spokesman said: "The Irish Prison Service is working closely with the "Extra vigilance is being taken across the prison, and an information campaign for prisoners around the dangers of consuming contraband has commenced." Read more in News Cummins is serving a 16-year sentence after targeting a man and a woman with a knife in one of the busiest hubs in On the day, he slashed a man across his face from mouth to ear while also attacking another woman and injuring her in Dublin's north inner city. He then walked up Moore Lane and pounced on a homeless woman in an unprovoked assault. The woman - who has since passed away from unrelated causes - was also slit from her mouth to ear. MOST READ IN THE IRISH SUN The Irish Prison Service says it is committed to preventing the access of contraband, including drugs into prisons and this continues to be a "high priority", as they invest in new technologies and measures. The spokesman added: "Prison staff have increased the use of random and intelligence led cell searches on a daily basis. The Irish Prison Service Operational Support Group work closely with their colleagues in An Garda Síochana, nationally and locally, on a regular basis and the sharing of intelligence has led to target searches resulting in the seizure of contraband. 'GREATER FOCUS' "Our Canine Unit carries out searches around the prisons, including a greater focus on searching deliveries into prisons. "There is a free confidential telephone line (1800 855 717) and text line ( 086 180 2449 ) which is operational. Prisoners, visitors, staff or members of the public with information on the trafficking of prohibited items into our prisons can pass on that information in the strictest confidence." The IPS is also working together with the gardai as part of Operation Throwover in a bid to tackle organised crime gangs targeting prisons with drugs, weapons and While netting capable of withstanding fire-bombing - which saw packages set alight and dropped on the nets to burn through - are being rolled out across the system. 1 Jonathan Cummins was one of the four men who fell gravely ill at Mountjoy 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.
