Last November, after Joseph Puska was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Aisling Murphy, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar announced the country needed more prison space.
“If people want to lock up dangerous people for long periods of time, they will need more space in prisons,” the Taoiseach said. Justice Minister Helen McEntee later confirmed plans to create 600 additional spaces across four prison sites.
But not everyone agrees that adding more prison cells is the answer.
The Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) has repeatedly called for a reduction in the number of people incarcerated, pointing out that almost three-quarters of prisoners in 2022 were serving 12 months or less. “We need to make sure people have access to more local services,” IPRT director Saoirse Brady said on today’s podcast. “I don’t think we need the extra space. In fact, the Government’s policy has been stated since August 2022 to reduce the number of people in prison for 12 months or less.”
However, it was reported last year that some prisons are extremely overcrowded and inmates at Clover Hill Prison are being held in “poor conditions”. So isn’t more space a positive step for prisoners and staff in Irish prisons?
Irish Times crime and security editor Conor Lally also joins the podcast to discuss the pros and cons of creating more space for prisoners in Irish prisons.
Today: Does Ireland need more cells or fewer prisoners?
Presentation by Sorcha Polak. Produced by John Casey.