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The Irish Prison Service's annual report reveals that the average cost of a prison space has increased to €103,334, while overcrowding remains a critical issue. The number of people sleeping on mattresses on the floor has tripled, and short-term imprisonment rises, prompting calls for community-based alternatives.
Average annual cost of single prison space rises to €103,334, Irish Prison Service annual report shows The Dóchas Centre at Mountjoy Prison was designed for 85 women but now regularly holds 180 or more.
Photograph: David Sleator expressed “deep concern” at the data, and questioned the State’s “ongoing reliance” on imprisonment for short sentences and remand as well as the continued rise in prison costs. By the end of 2025 the prison population reached 5,753, up 15 per cent on 2024. Of those, 596 individuals were forced to sleep on mattresses on the floor, an increase of 180 per cent on 2024.
The report said overcrowding remained a “substantial barrier to effective rehabilitation”, adding that the prison system is “operating above its designed capacity”. It said addressing overcrowding “remains a key priority”. The report also showed that the average annual cost of a staffed prison space has risen to €103,334, a 4.3 per cent increase on 2024.
However, the IPRT said that despite “only a modest” increase in committals, an increase of 1.1 per cent from 8,704 in 2024 to 8,798 in 2025, the prison system was now operating “well above its designed capacity, with overcrowding worsening and rehabilitation opportunities diminishing”.of all sentenced committals, highlighted “the urgent need for a decisive shift towards evidence‑based, community‑based alternatives”. It executive director, Saoirse Brady, said the report painted a picture of a system under sustained and mounting pressure.
She said alternatives such as bail supports, supervised temporary release schemes and community sanctions must be prioritised.
“Overcrowding is undermining rehabilitation, safety and dignity. Some people continue to sleep on mattresses on the floor, a clear breach of basic human rights.
“Overcrowding makes meaningful rehabilitation almost impossible,” she said, adding that only 26 per cent of people in custody engaged in work or training in 2025. Brady said the situation in the Dóchas Centre was particularly concerning – originally designed for 85 women, it now regularly holds 180 or more.
“A fundamental rebalancing of investment is urgently needed to make our criminal justice system more effective, more humane and more sustainable,” said Brady. Calls for remote health monitoring following death of prisoner in his cellFormer Antrim council chief convicted of deleting email subject to FOI ActCar drives off M50 bridge, causing closure and major traffic disruptionHSE investigating after video shows dementia patient being ‘disrespected’ on hospital ward Church of Ireland seeks to allay concerns about past finances at Dublin parish where newly elected bishop was rector
Prison Overcrowding Prison Costs Irish Prison Service Rehabilitation Community Alternatives
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