The number of prison spaces in the Republic is set for an unprecedented increase of more than 1,000, bringing the number of inmates close to 5,000 by 2011. Conor Lally, Crime Correspondent, reports.
The full extent of the expansion plans has not come to light before now.
The expansion programme comes at a time when a very significant increase in life-sentence prisoners is resulting in a "silting up" effect in many institutions, with fewer beds becoming available for newly committed inmates.
This problem is worsening because of increased murder rates and changes to the parole system in recent years. The parole changes mean many life sentences will now run to 16 years or more, much longer than in the 1980s and 1990s when 10-year tariffs were the norm.
New mandatory sentencing for a range of firearms offences came into effect at the start of the month and senior prison service officials expect this will lead to increased congestion.
Much of the pressure on space will be alleviated by the well documented plans for a new 1,400-bed Mountjoy prison at Thornton Hall, Co Dublin. A so-called super prison for the Munster region on Cork's Spike Island will have the same effect, housing 450 inmates.
Thornton Hall will replace the existing 878-bed Mountjoy complex, adding just over 500 beds to the system. The new Spike Island facility will add a further 150 beds. It will replace the old 90-bed jail on the island and the 259-bed Cork Prison, which is scheduled for closure.
However, the Department of Justice has now revealed plans to further add to the prison system with expansion programmes in a number of existing facilities.
Next year 138 places will be added to Portlaoise Prison, 61 to Loughan House in Co Cavan, 60 to Shelton Abbey in Co Wicklow and 12 to Castlerea Prison in Co Roscommon.
The following year Dublin's Wheatfield Prison will get an additional 146 beds while the Castlerea expansion will continue with 60 further spaces added. In 2009, Limerick prison will be expanded by 50. In 2010 Thornton Hall will become operational, with Spike Island coming on stream the following year.
In the State's existing facilities and the recently closed jails on Spike Island and the Curragh Place of Detention, Co Kildare, a capacity of 3,569 is currently available. Allowing for the planned closure of the current Mountjoy and Cork prisons and continued closure of the Curragh, capacity will reach 4,629 by 2011, an increase of 30 per cent.
Informed sources said the number of life prisoners in the system, currently at between 210 and 220, has more than doubled in recent years.
Some €38.4 million was earmarked in the Estimates last week for the prison building programme for next year.