The Council of Europe has warned of pervasive overcrowding, worsening safety levels and inadequate mental healthcare in Ireland’s prisons.
The report by the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture follows visits to a number of prisons across Ireland over the past year.
“Physical safety in male prisons has deteriorated sharply” since the Council of Europe’s previous visits in 2019, the Committee warned.
“Violence between prisoners remains widespread and allegations of prisoner abuse by staff have increased. The Committee also received several allegations of excessive force being used by staff during operations to control, restrain and relocate prisoners.”
Overcrowding remains a “chronic issue” with cells “packed with three or four inmates, sometimes in squalid conditions”.
With prisoners spending up to 23 hours a day in their cell, the committee warned Ireland’s prisons in some cases “amount to inhuman and degrading treatment”.
The Council of Europe says Ireland must address “critical issues” and demonstrate “concrete actions”, the report urges.
The Committee said these were “serious problems” which should not be ignored.
In reponse the government said it was working to ensure that prison was considered “a sanction of last resort”.
Working with the probation service and the courts, the government hopes to lower prison population pressure.
In response to the Council of Europe’s concerns about worsening prisoner safety, the government said the Irish Prison Service will “develop and implement a strategy based on international best practice in relation to the systemic management of violence in custody.”
The government said its objective was “reducing violence, harm, and conflict while fostering health, wellbeing, and a culture of non-violence.”