Report highlights Cork Prison overcrowding
Tuesday, 11 October 2005 20:53Cork Prison is the most overcrowded prison in the State, according to a report published by the Irish Prisons Inspectorate this evening.
The 95-page report also found that the overall level of staff sick leave at the prison is high, at just over 15 days per prison officer, and needs attention.
The Inspectorate found that with an average of 269 prisoners, the jail is the most overcrowded in the system.
It said the practice of slopping out continued in most cells, and this is unacceptable.
The report highlighted that some ¤5.5 million had been spent on plans for new buildings which now appear not to be going ahead, since a new prison to replace Cork is to be built on Spike Island.
However, it said the current Cork facilities could be used for remand prisoners or as a women's jail.
The report also noted that most prisoners did not access education facilities, that visiting facilities are poor and that many of them were unhappy with the prison's medical service.
The inspectorate noted that the attitude of staff and prisoners appeared quite good, and that bullying and racism did not appear to be a problem.
