Mountjoy Prison was the very first prison to receive an unannounced general inspection as part of the new inspection programme commenced by my Office in late 2022. It is the ambition of my Office that every prison in Ireland will receive an unannounced general inspection at least every three years. As our current level of staff resources is not sufficient to deliver this, shorter follow-up inspections are being conducted to prisons visited some time ago, focussing on monitoring the implementation of the Inspectorate’s earlier recommendations.

During the November/December 2022 general inspection of Mountjoy Prison, overcrowding was already a major issue. My concerns about this situation led me to write to the Minister for Justice immediately after the inspection. I highlighted that the size and design of many of the cells at Mountjoy meant that mattresses had to be wedged at an angle next to the in-cell lavatories. Given the minimal out of cell time offered to many men, I considered that these conditions of detention could be considered degrading. I also drew the Minister’s attention to the fact that projected rises in the prison population suggested that unless urgent action were taken, such as imposing an enforceable  ceiling on the number of people who can be held in each prison, the dramatic situation observed by my team in Mountjoy Prison for Men would become a grave problem for the prison system as a whole.

Naturally, I take no pleasure in the fact that my predication has proven accurate. On the first day of the 2022 inspection, there were 750 people living in Mountjoy Prison; it was operating at 99% capacity and there were 35 people sleeping on mattresses on the floor. On the first day of the April/May 2025 follow-up inspection, there were 986 people in custody. The prison was operating at 122% capacity, and there were 90 men sleeping on mattresses on the floor. By December 2025, Mountjoy Prison was attempting to house 1089 men, with 145 people consigned to mattresses on the floor. The prison estate as a whole is now trying to contain nearly 5,800 men (for a capacity of just over 4,700) with over 600 people placed on mattresses on the floor. The dramatic situation observed by my team at Mountjoy Prison in 2022 has become a national disgrace.

The principal purpose of the 2025 follow-up inspection was to assess the progress in implementing the  recommendations made in 2022. In addition, the Inspectorate revisited and reassessed the recommendations made to Mountjoy Prison in our 2023 and 2024 thematic inspection reports: Thematic Inspection on Education and Work Training and Thematic Inspection: An Evaluation of the Provision of Psychiatric Care in the Irish Prison System. During the 2025 follow-up inspection, the team found that the increase in the population at Mountjoy Prison had generated significant adverse consequences for people living and working in the prison. The documented living conditions of some prisoners sharing cells in Mountjoy Prison in 2025 were deplorable and can be considered to amount to inhuman and degrading treatment.

This follow-up inspection report records that the majority of the recommendations made by the Inspectorate in late 2022 remain “open”, which is to say that they have yet to be implemented. To some extent, implementation delays may be attributed to the pernicious effects of overcrowding. However, it is important the persistence of overcrowding is not relied upon as a catch-all excuse to fail to make progress in areas where this remains possible. The management team at Mountjoy Prison has demonstrated that, when it is determined to do so, it can achieve improvements notwithstanding the constraints imposed by overcrowding. As an example, the Inspectorate welcomes the refurbishment of accommodation in the Medical Unit (F1 and F2) and in Mountjoy West (B), creating better living conditions. This achievement is particularly commendable given that cells had to be taken out of commission to allow for refurbishment at a time when capacity was already strained to the limit.

The Inspectorate also wishes to acknowledge the significant investment in upgrading some facilities at Mountjoy Prison. These include replacing the video link area for online court appearances, creating an entirely new visits area and refurbishing the chapel. Plans for the future also include developing work training facilities for protection prisoners and prisoners within the Medical Unit as well as a Men’s Shed for Mountjoy West. This report also includes a very positive assessment of improvements made in the quality of education at Mountjoy Prison, based on the follow-up inspection undertaken by our colleagues from the Department of Education Inspectorate. Their findings are set out at the end of this report.

Rec. no. MJ22-12 P.11 Shortfalls in the complement of healthcare staffing, particularly in the areas of general practice, nursing, psychology and addiction services, as well as in administrative support for healthcare services, should be immediately addressed, in order to provide better healthcare outcomes for people in Mountjoy Men’s Prison. The healthcare team in Mountjoy Men’s Prison should also have access, or increased access to, ECG, phlebotomy and physiotherapy services. The inspection team followed up on a number of recommendations made in relation to staffing and resourcing for healthcare. It is positive to note that there is now administrative support for the healthcare team.
Currently, there is only one nurse on duty at night, covering Mountjoy Main, Mountjoy West, and the Medical Unit. This creates a serious risk if two or more medical emergencies occur simultaneously. Given the number of prisoners currently held at the prison, the Inspectorate recommends that a second nurse be present at night. At the time of the 2022 inspection, there were three full-time and one part-time addiction counsellors at Mountjoy Prison. During the 2025 inspection, there was just one full-time counsellor in place; however, the Inspectorate was made aware of plans for increased resourcing, with the addition of two full-time counsellors. The implementation of a dedicated addiction nurse post would be of added benefit in supporting prisoners with substance use histories, as well as providing support for the newly re-opened Drug Treatment Programme (see MJ22-13). Staffing for psychology services has remained at approximately the same levels as during the 2022 inspection (see MHT3).

MJ22-13 P.12 The Drug Treatment Programme formerly provided for in the Medical Unit, should recommence immediately, with a view to ensuring that the environment is conducive to achieving positive outcomes. The capacity of the programme should be expanded, and measures should be taken to ensure the programme is suited to the needs of the people in Mountjoy Men’s Prison.
The Inspectorate welcomes the re-opening of the Drug Treatment Programme in the Medical Unit. It is also positive to note that there are plans for an additional two counsellors to support the programme and general addiction counselling. As the Drug Treatment Programme evolves, it should include clear and defined progression pathways for people completing the programme. Currently, there are nine individuals undertaking the programme; in time, the Inspectorate would welcome plans for the expansion of the programme.
The creation of an official addiction nursing post could support the assessment process for the newly opened drug treatment programme, as well as the provision of Opioid Agonist Therapy (referred to as OST by health care staff) in the prison. The post holder could also work to foster links with appropriate community programmes, as part of a prisoner’s preparations for release (see MJ22-13).
This recommendation remains open.

MJ22-14 The screening programme at Mountjoy Men’s Prison should be enhanced including by making provision for it to be adequately resourced by both healthcare and custodial escort staff.
Request for Information - Appropriate preventive screenings were facilitated including Hepatitis C screening, bowel screening (for over 50s), and prostate screening (by request, or based on symptoms). The Inspectorate would like to receive more information on the implementation of chronic disease management at the prison, to ensure that it is in line with practice in the community.
This recommendation remains open.