Mark Kelly was before the justice committee yesterday.
Government is being warned that overcrowding in the prison system is leading to ‘inhumane’ and ‘degrading’ situations.
TDs and Senators were given a stark outline of prison conditions, during an Oireachtas Justice Committee meeting last night.
Chief Prison Inspector Mark Kelly told the committee there were more than five thousand seven hundred and forty people in an Irish prison this week – a thousand more than can be safely accommodated for.
As of yesterday, Portlaoise Prison is operating at 134% over its capacity, while Midlands Prison, also based in Portlaoise, is at 120%.
He says the system here is one of the worst he’s seen in Europe:
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