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Irish Examiner
3 days 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 Examiner
7 days ago
- Irish Examiner
Cork crime and jail time
TThe northside southside divide in Cork city has been laid bare again by new research on jail sentences. An analysis of just over 1,400 jail sentences which were reported on in The Irish Examiner and The Echo shows that of those people with addresses in Cork city who were jailed in the study period: Most lived on the northside their average jail sentence was longer compared to someone living on the southside; and some of the city's youngest offenders had an address on the northside; Gurranabraher had the youngest average age of those jailed during the study period. Seven of the top 10 jail term suburbs are in parts of the city classed as 'disadvantaged' or 'very disadvantaged' in the 2022 Pobal Deprivation Index, with higher rates of unemployment and lone parenting, and lower rates of school completion and third level participation. The data underlines a striking disparity between the city's northside and southside, and raises fresh concerns about the ongoing inequality and the socio-economic divide that continues to shape life in the city, despite decades of investment in disadvantaged areas. The Irish Examiner analysed over 5,000 court reports which were published in the paper and in its sister publication, The Echo, between 2020 and 2024, and identified over 1,400 cases were jail terms which were imposed. Among the items analysed was the address of the person jailed. The data shows that people with a northside address got a longer average sentence in five of the six key crime categories compared to those with an address on the southside, with just one exception – southsiders got a longer average jail term for assault. The data shows that a total of 360 jail sentences were imposed on people with an address on the northside, compared to 194 on the southside, during the study period. The average age of a person with a northside address at the time of sentencing was just under 33 years of age, with southsiders just over the age of 34. The average sentence for a person with a northside address in that time was just over 22 months, but it was 18 months on the southside. Previous convictions were mentioned almost equally across the city – in 65% of all the cases involving someone with a northside address and in 63% of cases involving someone with a southside address. The analysis also identified the most mentioned crime categories and the areas in which those convicted of the crimes were living at the time. It shows that Gurranabraher accounted for the highest number of jail terms imposed over the five years, and it had the youngest average age in the city for someone jailed for an offence, at just under 29-years of age. It was followed by Mayfield, Knocknaheeny, and Blackpool, all on the northside, and by Mahon in the south east. The headline crime issues on the northside were theft (mentioned in 35% of cases), assault (17.5%) burglary (15%), public order (14.7%), weapons and explosives (13.3%), drugs for sale or supply (12.5%), road traffic (10%), drugs for personal use (9.4%), and criminal damage (8.9%). The big crime issues mentioned in cases involving people with a southside address were theft (33%), negligence (21.5%), three times the rate of the northside, public order (16%), drugs for personal use (13.3%), drugs for sale or supply and weapons/explosives offences tied at 11.8%, criminal damage, robbery and burglary, (all at 6.2%), and road traffic (5.6%).
Irish Examiner
24-06-2025
- Irish Examiner
Cork crime: Northsiders get longer jail sentences than southsiders, 'Irish Examiner' study reveals
People with an address on the northside of Cork City receive longer prison sentences on average than those from the southside, research from the Irish Examiner suggests. The analysis of more than 1,400 court reports published by The Irish Examiner and The Echo highlights a striking disparity between the city's northside and southside. It raises fresh concerns about the ongoing inequality and the socioeconomic divide, despite decades of investment in disadvantaged areas. This is one of the articles published in the 'Irish Examiner' in print and online here on Day 2 of the three-day Cork Crime series. The breakdown of the 554 convictions between 2020-2024, shows: 360 had an address on the northside and 194 lived on the southside The average jail sentence was longer on the northside (22.1 months) compared to 18 months on the southside Some of the city's youngest offenders had an address on the northside; Gurranabraher had the youngest average age of those jailed during the study period The breakdown of the main crime categories shows an even greater disparity when it comes to sentencing. The data shows: Theft 127 jail terms in which theft was mentioned were imposed on people with an address on the northside. Average sentence – 11.8 months. 65 mentions of the same offence involving people with an address on the southside. Average sentence 8.7 months. Burglary 54 jail sentences mentioning burglary involving someone with a northside address. Average jail term of 32 months. 12 mentions of the same offence involving someone living on the southside. Average sentence of 25 months. Public order 53 jail sentences mentioning public order offences involving people with a northside address. Average sentence of 9.5 months. 31 sentences for the same offence involving someone living on the southside. Average sentence of 5.5 months. Weapons and explosives offences 48 jail terms in which weapons and explosives offences were mentioned, involving someone with a northside address. Average sentence of 29.3 months. 23 involving someone living on the southside. Average sentence of 27 months. Drugs for sale or supply 45 jail terms mentioning drugs for sale or supply involving some living on the northside, with an average sentence of 40.7 months. 23 mentions of the same offence involving someone with a southside address - average sentence of 29 months. Assault 63 jail terms involving a person with a northside address. Average jail term of 26.2 months. 42 mentions of the same offence involving a person living on the southside. Average jail term of 27.6 months. This was the only major crime category where sentences were harsher on the southside. Of the top 10 jail-time suburbs, seven are in parts of the city classed as 'disadvantaged' or 'very disadvantaged' in the 2022 Pobal Deprivation Index, with higher rates of unemployment and lone parenting, and lower rates of school completion and third-level participation. The average age of a person with a northside address at the time of sentencing was just under 33 years of age, with southsiders just over the age of 34. The average sentence for a person with a northside address in that time was just over 22 months, but it was 18 months on the southside. Previous convictions were mentioned almost equally across the city – in 65% of all the cases involving someone with a northside address and in 63% of cases involving someone with a southside address. Addiction However, the data shows that addiction does not respect any geographical boundaries and is a citywide problem. Addiction was mentioned in 54% of cases involving northsiders, and in 52% of cases involving southsiders, with alcohol mentioned in 37% of cases both northside and southside, and drugs mentioned in 45% of cases both northside and southside. Addiction, alcohol or drugs was mentioned in 72% of cases on the northside, and 74% of all cases in the southside. The analysis also identified the most mentioned crime categories and the areas in which those convicted of the crimes were living at the time. It shows that Gurranabraher accounted for the highest number of jail terms imposed over the five years, and it had the youngest average age in the city for someone jailed for an offence, at just under 29 years of age. It was followed by Mayfield, Knocknaheeny, and Blackpool, all on the northside, and by Mahon in the southeast.
