The Director of the Irish Prison Service has stated that prison officers will be equipped with body-worn cameras and batons for personal safety later this year in response to rising levels of violence within prisons, reports RTE.
Caron McCaffrey told the Prison Officers’ Association (POA) annual conference in Kilkenny that it was unfortunate more than 130 prison officers were assaulted last year, adding that the service continues to support its staff, reports RTE.
She acknowledged that the surge in violence is partly due to significant overcrowding but maintained that 700 additional prison spaces would be delivered over the next three years.
However, prison officers argue that these measures will fall short of addressing the overcrowding crisis, reports RTE.
The Deputy General Secretary of the POA said overcrowding has been the primary issue facing the country’s prisons for many years.
Gabriel Keaveny said it allows organised crime groups to thrive and contributes to increased smuggling of drugs, weapons, and mobile phones, reports RTE.
The prison service director noted that body-worn cameras have already been successfully piloted and will first be introduced in Mountjoy Prison later this year before being extended to all prisons next year.
Ms McCaffrey also said that while prison officers in the violence reduction unit already carry batons, these will now be issued to all officers, reports RTE.
She emphasised, however, that batons had only been drawn twice in the unit and were never actually used.
Both the prison service and prison officers agree that body-worn cameras and batons have improved behaviour and helped to defuse potentially violent situations, reports RTE.
The Director also expressed support for providing prison officers with incapacitant spray, though she noted this would require legislative changes currently progressing through the Oireachtas.
Acting President of the POA Peter Redmond said violence in prisons has risen by 37%, with direct attacks on officers increasing by 23%, reports RTE.
The POA is urging the urgent construction of a new prison at Thornton Hall, as well as a new open prison for women, to ease overcrowding.
They are also calling for specialised anti-drone netting to be installed over all prison exercise yards to prevent drone deliveries and reduce the flow of contraband, reports RTE.
POA says conditions in prisons ‘a national scandal’
Prison officers have warned that violence, intimidation, weapons, and drug smuggling are all on the rise in prisons due to overcrowding.
There are more than 6,600 prisoners in the system, exceeding available bed capacity by over 1,900, reports RTE.
The POA described prison conditions as “a national scandal”.
Overcrowding has long been the central issue in prisons and is seen by officers as the root cause of many other systemic problems, reports RTE.
They said it enables organised crime groups to flourish and leaves vulnerable inmates at even greater risk.
It has contributed to a rise in violence against staff and increased smuggling of drugs, weapons, and mobile phones, reports RTE.
Violent incidents rose from 1,093 in 2024 to 1,503 last year, an increase of 37.5%, while direct assaults on prison officers went up by 23% from 107 to 132.
More individuals are being incarcerated, yet only one new prison has been constructed in the past 26 years, reports RTE.
Prison officers say successive governments have failed both staff and inmates, who are meant to be protected and rehabilitated.
POA Acting President Peter Redmond said the number of prisoners sleeping on floors highlights neglect and a lack of meaningful commitment to a vulnerable group in society, reports RTE.
He also noted that nearly 2,500 prisoners awaiting psychological support reflects a mental health crisis, with many leaving prison without proper assessment or treatment.
The POA criticised the construction of 30 single-occupancy modular units in open prisons at Loughan House and Shelton Abbey, costing €15m, describing it as “an outrageous cost”, reports RTE.
It also questioned why such units are not being built in overcrowded facilities like Mountjoy, which currently holds 324 more inmates than its capacity.
The association said responsibility rests with Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan, noting that although 70 additional spaces have been added since his appointment, 460 more people have been imprisoned, reports RTE.
Deputy General Secretary of the POA Gabriel Keaveny said “prisons are in an ongoing state of crisis” due to chronic overcrowding.
The POA estimates prisons are operating between 1,300 and 1,500 above safe capacity levels, reports RTE.
“Prisons are in an ongoing state of crisis, our members are trying to manage this on a daily basis, and all the figures are on an upward trajectory across all the various different headings,” he said on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, reports RTE.
“It’s a truly impossible task that our members are being asked to do on a daily basis.”
He added that he has never witnessed conditions this severe, reports RTE.
Mr Keaveny said that the “revolving door is well and truly back and established” with roughly 650 prisoners out on temporary release at any given time.
He added that nearly 10% of prisoners are sleeping on floors, “It’s a truly shocking indictment on Government to be quite honest”, reports RTE.
Mr Keaveny said overcrowding is affecting prisoners’ access to services and facilitating the influx of contraband such as drugs.
“We’ve seen over 400 drone drops this year alone, we believe it’s more than that. Drug seizures are up by 28%, phone seizures are up by 31%, weapon seizures are up by 70%.”, reports RTE.
He said all of these issues stem directly from overcrowding.
“In an overcrowding situation, unfortunately, the bully thrives and the vulnerable suffers in silence.”, reports RTE.
Violent incidents have also risen, with direct physical assaults up by 23%, aggressive and threatening behaviour up 161%, and physical interventions increasing by 28%.
He added that prison officers require protection while carrying out their duties, reports RTE.
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