'Human rights at risk' as Cork Prison sees 103 inmates without a bed

8th August 2025

In this article from The Echo, IPRT’s Legal, Policy, and Public Affairs Manager Niamh McCormack highlights the worsening overcrowding crisis in Cork Prison, where conditions may amount to degrading and inhuman treatment in breach of human rights laws.
Niamh outlines how overcrowding has led to prisoners sleeping on mattresses on floors, the closure of prison schools and workshops, and increasing tensions and violence.
She calls for urgent government action to reduce prison numbers and expand the use of community-based sanctions, which are more effective at reducing reoffending than short-term prison sentences.

Read the full article here.