Census of Prison Population, Cell Occupancy and In-Cell Sanitation April 2015

27th April 2015

The Irish Prison Service Statistics Office has recently published its quarterly statistical analysis of prison population, cell occupancy and in-cell sanitation facts and figures for April of 2015.

The quarterly report provides information on the numbers of usable cells in each institution, the number of cells that accommodated one, two, three and four or more prisoners, the number of prisoners without access to in-cell sanitation and the number of prisoners who were required to use toilet facilities in the presence of others. 

Some of the key findings highlighted by the census include:

• The prison population currently stands at 3,748, which represents an increase of 87 in custody from January of 2015;
• 54% (or 2,014) of the total prison population are accommodated in single cells at present;
• 37% (or 1,389) prisoners are required to use the toilet in the presence of another prisoner;
• 292 prisoners (or 8% of the total prison population) are still required to slop out;
• The numbers of prisoners slopping out continues to decrease (from 304 in January of 2015 to 292 in April of 2015), however, full sanitary progress is welcomed in this area;
• There has been little or no change in the area of improving in-cell sanitation, and so it is hoped we will see change in this area in future censuses;

Read the full findings of the census here. (27th April 2015)