Ireland
Seen in the press
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Ireland: prison officers to be issued with body cameras, batons amid rise in violence
The Director of the Irish Prison Service has said prison officers are to be issued with body worn cameras and batons for personal protection later this year to deal with the increased levels of violence in the prisons.
Ireland: "demoralising"conditions in Cork prison increasing tensions and stresses
An incarcerated man left without a toothbrush or toothpaste for months, a sports hall used for spin-bike classes for officers but closed to imprisoned people, and a violent incident in a shared cell leaving a man with life-changing injuries were among concerns noted by inspectors at Cork Prison.Ireland: overcrowding, fights and abuse – government has "failed" to address "degrading" prison conditions, says EU anti-torture watchdog
The State has failed to address the “degrading” conditions in which incarcerated people live in the country’s prisons and detention centres, according to an EU watchdog.Ireland: overcrowding crisis laid bare by seven-fold increase in incarcerated people sleeping on floors
The number of people sleeping on prison floors has surged amid a deepening overcrowding crisis. 504 incarcerated people were sleeping on the floors of jails on mattresses because no beds were available.Ireland: prison service considering use of body scanners to detect drugs following death of incarcerated person
The Irish Prison Service (IPS) is researching the use of body scanners for the detection of drugs after the death of an incarcerated person in custody who had returned from temporary release.Ireland: prison overcrowding crisis has deepened further this year
The Prison Officers Association (POA) has said the overcrowding crisis within Irish prisons has deepened even further this year. The service has published its annual report for 2024, in which it highlights the urgent need for expanded capacity amid mounting challenges that it faces.Ireland: number of deaths in prison up 55% last year
The number of incarcerated people who died in custody increased by 55% last year - up from 20 in 2023 to 31 last year. However, Chief Inspector of Prisons said the “increase is even higher” when the figures are broken down.“If we look purely at deaths in prisons, they’ve actually gone up by 90%”.