ONE THIRD of prisoners at the women's jail in Mountjoy Prison, Dublin, have been released amid "serious overcrowding", it has emerged.
While they are officially on "temporary" release there is no prospect of their recommittal to the jail. Despite the large number of releases, it is still operating at 30 per cent over capacity.
All but three inmates serving sentences of 20 months or less have been released. The three short- sentence inmates remain jailed because they have no accommodation to which they can be released.
Overcrowding has become acute over the past year as the number of people given custodial sentences has increased by 14 per cent.
The total prison population in the State exceeded 4,000 for the first time in recent weeks.
More inmates than ever are female, long term and "life" criminals convicted of murder and other homicide offences. It means beds that would usually accommodate a large turnover of female inmates jailed for short periods are no longer available.
According to figures from the Department of Justice, the number of prisoners in the Dóchas Centre in the Mountjoy complex was 111 on November 7th.
There were "over 50" other female inmates on temporary release.
Temporary release is usually granted for personal and educational reasons. It is also granted to those nearing the end of long sentences to ease them back into society. However, in times of serious overcrowding it is used to clear beds for new committals.
Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern said "serious overcrowding" in the Dóchas Centre had been a problem since it opened in 1999.
"I do not regard this as an acceptable situation," he said in reply to a written Dáil question from Sinn Féin's Aengus Ó Snodaigh.
Mr Ó Snodaigh said the Government had not explored non-custodial options for female criminals. This should be done because many women in jail had children and were their sole carer.
Mr Ahern said there was also "serious pressure" on the 20 spaces at the State's other female facility in Limerick Prison.
Of all females who were in custody on November 7th, 28 per cent were serving sentences for homicide. A further 36 per cent were serving "lengthy" drugs sentences.
Some 13 per cent were serving sentences of over two years for assault causing harm. All but three of the remaining 23 per cent were serving sentences of 20 months or more for robbery and criminal damage offences.
Mr Ahern said social and demographic trends indicated a continued increase in the female prison population was inevitable. He said an expanded version of the Dóchas Centre will be built at Thornton Hall in north Co Dublin.
It is due to open in 2012 at the earliest.