Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 12 Apr 2001

Vol. 534 No. 5

Written Answers - Prison Accommodation.

Bernard J. Durkan

Ceist:

197 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of cases in respect of which two or more prisoners share a cell in the various prisons throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11226/01]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue):

The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table.

Institution	Cell accommodation
Mountjoy Prison	Twenty double cells, one four man cell, the balance is made up of single cells.
St. Patrick's Institution	Five triple cells, the balance is made up of single cells.
Castlerea Prison	Four 4 man cells, 20 double cells, balance is made up of single cells.
Cork Prison	118 cells are shared by two or more prisoners.
Limerick Prison (Male)	130 double cells, balance is made up of single cells.
Limerick Prison (Female)	6 double cells, balance is made up of single cells
Wheatfield Place of Detention	48 double cells, balance is made up of single cells.
The Curragh	43 double cells, balance is made up of single cells
Portlaoise Prison	8 triple cells, 20 double cells, balance is made up of single cells
Loughan House	39 double rooms, balance is made up of single cells
Shelton Abbey	Dormitory accommodation provided for all prisoners.
Shanganagh Castle	Dormitory accommodation provided for all prisoners.
Fort Mitchel	25 four man cells
Training Unit	All single cell accommodation
Cloverhill Prison	120 triple cells and 13 double cells.
Midlands Prison	9 double cells, balance is made up of single cells.
Arbour Hill Prison	Fifteen double cells, the balance is made up of single cells

Where possible, it is the aim of the Prisons Service to provide for single cell occupancy for all sentenced prisoners. Exceptions are made for some prisoners who actually seek to double-up. They do so especially if they are in prison for the first time. Prisoners may ask to share a cell with a friend or relative in custody and such requests are facilitated where possible. Doubling up may also occur from time to time if there is a concern about the physical-mental health of a prisoner.

When overcrowding was at its height in our prisons, a large number of single cells were converted into multiple occupancy cells. This was necessary in a number of our closed prisons, particularly Mountjoy Prison, Cork Prison, St. Patrick's Institution, Limerick Prison, Wheatfield Place of Detention and the Curragh. St. Patrick's Institution has already reverted to full single cell accommodation.

As part of the ongoing prisons building programme, with 1,207 additional places provided since I took office, it is the intention to revert these cells back to their single cell occupancy status. The provision for a further 700 prison spaces, as part of the next phase of the building programme, will facilitate this.

Question No. 198 answered with Question No. 38.

Bernard J. Durkan

Ceist:

199 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of prisoners currently located in each of the prisons throughout the country; the degree to which overcrowding has been alleviated or is ongoing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11228/01]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue):

The following table gives a breakdown of where prisoners were located on 9 April 2001.

Institution	Number in custody
Mountjoy Prison	601
Dóchas Centre	90
St. Patrick's Institution	221
Cork Prison	275
Limerick Prison (Male)	174
Limerick Prison (Female)	12
Castlerea Prison	193
Cloverhill Prison	368

Institution	Number in custody
Wheatfield	355
Portlaoise Prison	149
Arbour Hill Prison	130
Fort Mitchel	99
Training Unit	90
The Curragh	99
Midlands Prison	181
Loughan House	65
Shanganagh Castle	27
Shelton Abbey	25
Total	3,154

Since I took office as Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, I have presided over an unprecedented investment in our prison infrastructure. In all, over 1,200 additional prison spaces have been provided with a further 700 closed spaces on the way. The additional spaces already provided have greatly reduced overcrowding and I am hopeful that completion of the prison building programme will eliminate it altogether.

We now have a situation where for the first time in 25 years we can accommodate almost all those sentenced by the courts for the full duration of their sentences. I qualify this statement only by reference to the female prison population where we have higher than anticipated committal numbers and for whom extra spaces will be provided shortly.

The overall percentage of sentenced prisoners on temporary release has, as a result of the Government's building programme to date, been reduced from 19% in 1997 to a figure of about 6%. It is important to bear in mind also that almost all prisoners on early release are on structured programmes, in many cases under the direct supervision of the probation and welfare service. Those not on structured programmes have been temporarily released for valid compassionate reasons, ill health or family related circumstances.

The impact of this cut in unplanned temporary releases on the level of indictable crime in this jurisdiction is clear and irrefutable. The whole architecture of community sanctions depends on the custodial places being available to ensure that the sanction of last resort can be applied to offenders if they do not avail of the non-custodial options open to them.