Ireland’s prison overcrowding branded “national disgrace” after new report

In one prison nine showers are to serve around 239 men.

Overcrowding has pushed the population close to 6,000 for a capacity of under 4,800, leaving hundreds of people sleeping on mattresses on floors beside unpartitioned toilets.

It was reported this week that more people are in prison due to inability to pay fines.

Reports from Wheatfield and Castlerea prisons speak to a lack of access to basic hygiene facilities, with hundreds of people expected to use a handful of showers. In Castlerea Prison, nine showers serve 239 men.  

The Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) expressed deep concern at the findings which describes the conditions faced by people in custody in Ireland as a “national disgrace”. Chronic overcrowding continues to worsen year on year, they say this places severe pressure on prison regimes, safety, dignity, and basic living conditions for people in prison.  

The report outlines the Inspector’s findings across inspections carried out in 2025, including Mountjoy Prison, Wheatfield Prison, and Castlerea Prison.

Across the three prisons inspected, the number of people sleeping on mattresses on floors had increased significantly in recent years. In Mountjoy Prison, capacity increased from 750 people in 2022 to 986 in April 2025, operating at 122 per cent capacity with 90 people sleeping on mattresses on floors. 

Castlerea Prison was at 119 per cent capacity during the inspection with 35 people sleeping on mattresses on the floor while Wheatfield Prison was at 110 per cent capacity with 38 men sleeping on floors. Standards of cleanliness and repair were variable.  

Saoirse Brady IPRT Executive Director, said prisoners are being denied their dignity and difficult living conditions, including cramped accommodation are all factors that can heighten tensions and reduce safety.

“It is clear from the OIP’s report that overcrowding not only denies people in prison privacy and basic dignity in many instances," he said. 

"It also restricts access to essential services and purposeful activities. In Wheatfield, reduced staffing led to staggered unlock protocols, meaning people spent longer periods locked back in their cells.

"In Mountjoy, out-of-cell time was limited, with regular school closures and restricted access to the gym. Medical appointments were cancelled due to staff shortages."

In 2025, 14 deaths in custody were recorded, representing a 55 per cent decrease from 2024, when a record number of 31 deaths in custody took place.