There are a record number of prisoners in Irish jails, Minister for Justice Alan Shatter said today.
As of this week, there were almost 800 prisoners on temporary release with a further 4,495 in custody.
The Irish Prison Officers Association, which is holding its annual conference in Kilkenny, has said this situation contributes to an environment of bullying and drug use and where prisoner rehabilitation is "virtually impossible”.
Speaking at the conference, Mr Shatter acknowledged the number of prisoners on temporary release was “simply too high and unacceptable”. However he said increasing those numbers to deal with overcrowding "is not the solution".
While he did not believe temporary release was appropriate to long term prisoners, he said some 13 per cent of prisoners, or more then 600, were currently serving terms of less than a year. Some 222 of these were serving less than six months.
The Minister said he had been assured by Taoiseach Enda Kenny the Dáil and Seanad would sit later than usual this year to ensure the passage of the Criminal Justice (community service amendment) Bill 2011.
The Bill imposes an obligation on judges when considering imposing a sentence of less than 12 months, “to first consider the use of community se4rvice as an alternative to a custodial sentence.”
In addition, the Minister said a new accommodation block at the Midlands Prison will provide for 300 additional spaces by mid-2012. A further 70 “dormitory style” spaces for women prisoners at the Dóchas Centre in Mountjoy due to be completed by July.
Work is currently ongoing in providing in-cell sanitation in 36 cells in Mountjoy Prison in Dublin, with a further 74 all expected to be completed this summer.
Mr Shatter said the report of the working group set up to consider options in relation to the proposed new prison at Thornton Hall in north Dublin would be published in July.
POA president Stephen Delaney criticised the new “dormitory style” arrangements in Dóchas, describing the policy as “stack ‘em and rack em”.
In relation to prison officers’ pay and conditions, Mr Delaney said his union will not accept any more pay cuts. “We will not accept antiquated conditions and we are certainly taking no more excuses or blame for the economic crisis, which we didn’t create,” he said.