Deaths in custody up from 24 to 31, over one year
The Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) has criticised systemic failures within the Irish prison estate following the publication of five “deaths in custody” investigation reports.
The reports, by the Office of the Inspector of Prisons, detail the deaths of five men between 2022 and 2024.
The IPRT states that many of these deaths were "preventable," citing unprecedented overcrowding and chronic gaps in therapeutic services.
According to the Chief Inspector of Prisons, deaths in custody rose from 24 in 2023 to 31 in 2024.
Risk management
The investigations showed breakdowns in risk management and medical oversight:
- Mental health: In the case of Mr M (Mountjoy, 2023) and Mr H (Midlands, 2024), both men died by suicide despite clear warning signs. Mr M faced long waiting lists for addiction treatment, while Mr H’s requests for psychological support failed to reach the relevant team due to referral errors,
- Addiction services: Mr Q died of a drug overdose in Mountjoy in 2024. This followed four other overdoses in the prison that same week. Despite officers noting he was "under the influence" the previous day, no heightened monitoring was initiated,
- Inappropriate placement: The report for Mr D (Cloverhill, 2022) found he was detained in a setting that could not provide the therapeutic environment required for his complex psychiatric needs.
The report for Mr N (Cloverhill, 2024) found staff acted with dignity during a medical emergency.
Mr N was 79 when he was committed to Cloverhill Prison on 3 May 2024, three days before he died of a suspected heart attack at Tallaght Hospital while in the custody of Cloverhill Prison.
The investigation identified some shortcomings in documentation and transport procedures.
Officers had noted his frailty and used a wheelchair to transfer him to a prison van for the journey to Tallaght hospital.
Mr N’s next of kin did not raise any concerns or questions regarding his passing, the inspector’s report states.
Executive director Saoirse Brady has called for urgent government action to address these "repeatedly identified" deficiencies and ensure accountability.