Irish jails proposed 40-day sentence cut to free 150 inmates

Irish prison authorities considered reducing all prisoner sentences by 40 days to create space in overcrowded jails, according to records obtained under freedom of information laws. The proposal, documented in an internal analysis from July 2025, would have resulted in the immediate release of 150 individuals. The records were released following an appeal to the information commissioner.

The data broke down the impact of different sentence reductions. A 20-day cut would have freed 73 prisoners, while a 30-day reduction would have led to 109 releases. Of the 150 prisoners eligible for the 40-day cut, 24 had convictions for sexual offenses and two were convicted of homicide. Another 37 were serving time for attempted or threatened murder, 9 for burglary, and 6 for weapons and explosives offenses.

Director General Caron McCaffrey prepared the analysis while repeatedly asking the Department of Justice for assistance with managing capacity. In a March 2025 letter, she stated that drastic measures were immediately needed to reduce prison numbers to safer levels. She also sought an urgent meeting to discuss how to manage the situation.

McCaffrey detailed specific conditions at the Cloverhill remand prison, noting it was operating at 124 percent of capacity. At the time, 91 prisoners were sleeping on mattresses on the floor. The jail governor had to double up single cells for dual occupancy, with only 20 cells deemed safe for that arrangement. Excluded from doubling were cells in D1, D2, and C1, which were considered too dangerous.

The pressure at Cloverhill was normally relieved by transferring prisoners to other facilities, but those jails were also full. The system held 5,463 people against a bed capacity of 4,672. McCaffrey wrote that the service might have to accommodate prisoners in areas not certified by the Minister for use as cells, prompting her request for guidance on new designations.

A Department of Justice spokesperson said Minister Jim O’Callaghan was acutely aware of the capacity constraints. The minister is pursuing a dual approach by increasing prison spaces and supporting non-custodial sanctions. The largest prison expansion program in the state’s history is currently underway and will deliver over 1,500 new spaces in coming years.

The spokesperson added that staff safety is being supported by enhancing personal protective equipment. The maximum sentence for assaulting or threatening a prison officer has also been increased.