This report on the inspection of Cloverhill Prison identifies a number of such systemic issues. Chief amongst these is the scourge of overcrowding and the ongoing scandal of people living in prison being obliged to sleep on mattresses on the floor, in close proximity to un-partitioned toilets. Other recurring themes include shortcomings in record keeping, the absence of administrative support for Chief Officers and Chief Nurse Officers, an ineffective complaints system and unduly limited telephone contact with the outside world. The report also addresses the persistent presence in prisons of people with acute mental health conditions. Turning to the prison itself, I notified the Minister for Justice of my grave concerns about the degrading conditions found in Cloverhill in an Immediate Action Notification, issued just after the full inspection. Our recent follow-up inspection of Cloverhill found that the situation had further deteriorated. A summary of our key findings from the inspection follows this Foreword, and details of our Immediate Action Notification and follow-up findings are appended to this report.

P.6 Given the profile and needs of the population, there was inadequate addiction support available to people in the prison; there were insufficient links with community drug treatment services to promote and ensure continuity of care on release from prison.

P.29 A large number of persons held on remand were committed for non-violent offences. For example, 48 people were on remand for unlawful possession of drugs, 33 people were on remand for criminal damage offences, 19 people were on remand for theft offences, and 13 people were on remand for intoxication in a public places. Combined, this amounted to 28% of the prisoner population in Cloverhill Prison on 25 May 2023.

P.48 3.19 Both prisoner and staff survey respondents (42%, 59 of 141, and 79%, 59 of 75, respectively) reported that drugs were one of the main problems impacting on the prison. The prevalence and availability of drugs in the prison had an enormous impact on the environment in the prison, as described by prisoners and members of staff:
“Drugs thrown over the wall cause tension, bullying and intimidation among prisoners and families and give rise to greater risk of overdose and fatalities. Increases violence towards staff. And greater pressure on protection landings and increase in factions.”
“Too much drugs being allowed into the prison.” 
“Drug addiction is a major issue and there is nothing being done to stop the flow of drugs into the prison and is resulting in significant harm to prisoners and staff.”
“Selling drugs at stupid prices to vulnerable people.”
“Terrible service with drugs raining from everywhere drugs on the yards.”
“Just stop the drugs please.”

3.20 Cloverhill Prison did not operate a needle exchange programme, and did not provide naloxone to people upon their release from prison. Given the prevalence of drug use in prisons, the WHO recommends that health intervention packages include harm reduction interventions such as needle and syringe programmes, opioid agonist maintenance therapy and naloxone for overdose management. Furthermore, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction notes “prisons can be a core setting for engaging with people who inject drugs and who may have been hard to reach in the community, allowing the provision of harm reduction, counselling, testing and treatment services before they return to the community”.

3.21 RECOMMENDATIONS
To the Director General of the Irish Prison Service:
Recommendation DG23-9: In line with the National Strategy on Drugs 2025-2027, and the Irish Prison Service’s commitment to support and treat people with substance use issues, the Inspector urges the Prison Service to increasingly adopt a harm reduction and health-led approach to respond to drug prevalence in prisons.

P.51 There was a heavy reliance on the P19 disciplinary process in Cloverhill Prison... Prevalence of drug use in the prison, and drug-seeking behaviours, were attributed by prison management as the primary cause for the heavy use of the P19 system....