Irish prison service considered sentence cuts amid overcrowding

Crime · First reported 29 Oct, 13:32 · Updated 17:28

Image: Wikimedia Commons · NASA Johnson Space Center · Public domain

An Irish Prison Service analysis considered reducing every prisoner’s sentence by 20, 30 or 40 days as prisons faced overcrowding. A 40-day reduction would have immediately released 150 people, while officials also described severe capacity pressures at Cloverhill and across the prison system.

The analysis considered cuts of 20, 30 or 40 days; the largest would have led to 150 immediate releases.
Cloverhill was reported to be at 124% capacity, with 91 prisoners sleeping on floor mattresses.
The Department of Justice said it was pursuing additional prison spaces and further support for non-custodial sanctions.

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Key facts

40-day proposal: Would have led to 150 immediate releases.
20-day proposal: Would have led to 73 immediate releases.
30-day proposal: Would have led to 109 immediate releases.
Cloverhill capacity: Reported at 124%, with 91 prisoners sleeping on floor mattresses.
Prison population and beds: 5,463 people in custody against bed capacity of 4,672.
Planned new spaces: The Department said a prison expansion programme would deliver over 1,500 new spaces in the coming years.