Irish Prison System overwhelmed and overstretched new report states
2nd December 2025
The article reports on IPRT’s latest findings, which show Ireland’s prison system is overwhelmed and unable to uphold basic rights due to severe and escalating overcrowding. Executive Director Saoirse Brady stresses that expanding prison spaces will not resolve the crisis, as new beds are quickly filled while conditions and rights deteriorate.
Assessing 35 human-rights-based standards, IPRT found progress in only three areas, while 11 standards — including humane conditions and safe custody limits — regressed. With the prison population now exceeding 5,700 and more than 600 people sleeping on mattresses, IPRT warns the system is “fighting a losing battle.”
Brady highlights the core issue: the continued use of short custodial sentences for less serious offences, despite falling crime rates, which blocks access to rehabilitation and leaves prisons managing high levels of mental health, addiction and trauma. IPRT calls for investment in rehabilitation, alternatives to custody, and measures to reduce the number of people entering prison unnecessarily.
This coverage was syndicated across multiple outlets, including BreakingNews.ie, Carlow Nationalist, Echo Live, Extra.ie, Kildare Nationalist, Laois Nationalist, Law Gazette, Waterford News & Star, Western People, and Midlands 103.
