Number of gangs in prisons nearly doubles in past year

The Irish Prison Service (IPS) has said the number of recognised criminal gangs in the prison system has almost doubled to 34 in the last year, with the number of gang members increasing by 25%.

The Prison Officers' Association (POA) said that managing and segregating the more than 170 gang members in the system is a major logistical challenge, exacerbated by overcrowding.

Director General of the IPS Caron McCaffrey said the service is satisfied that it will be able to successfully manage major gang leaders, as a number of them are already in custody.

The number of gangs last year increased by 15 to 34, while the membership figure was up by 25% to 172.

There are just five subversive inmates in Portlaoise Prison.

The IPS segregates Hutch and Kinahan members, with Hutch affiliates in Wheatfield Prison and Kinahan associates in Mountjoy jail.

There are, however, 16 separate gang factions, including Hutch gang members, in Mountjoy and these require careful management.

Prison officers say that different groupings have to be let out of their cells and wings at different times, and while they are supposed to have two hours exercise every day, this is not always possible.

They say that only while one group is in a yard can a rival faction be let onto a landing so their cells can be cleaned.

POA Deputy General Secretary Gabriel Keaveny said that organised crime groups exert huge pressure on the already overcrowded system, organising drone deliveries for weapons, drugs and other contraband.

There are huge numbers of prisoners on protection, he added.

Ms McCaffrey said the IPS accepted that the increased number of gangs is a major logistical challenge to manage, including separating feuding members during exercise, mealtimes and visits.

However, staff have responded well to the challenge, she added.

The IPS collects intelligence to identify gang members and liaises with An Garda Síochána.

The two organisations have signed a memorandum of understanding in relation to dealing with organised criminal gangs.

Ms McCaffrey said that the number of prison staff has been increasing - now at more than 4,000 - and the IPS spent €20m on overtime.

On the issue of overcrowding, the director general said that even though crime rates have fallen, numbers in jails increased by 28% in the last three years.

She attributed this to an increase in the population, the appointment of more judges, more court sittings, and a significant increase in remand prisoners, who are staying in custody for longer.

Ms McCaffrey said that 480 inmates are serving life in prison and the average life term is 25 years, up from 12 two decades ago.

She said the IPS had introduced 380 spaces and brought in 700 bunk beds.

The service is spending €500m to deliver 700 spaces and its strategy is to build more places on existing prison sites because it represents better value for money.

Ms McCaffrey also said there was a commitment to build a prison at Thornton Hall in north Dublin and that the Department of Justice is "working on a master plan".

Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan said there was "no quick solution" to overcrowding, but a building programme, that should have been put in place years ago, would result in 1,500 new spaces by 2030.

He promised that 960 of them would be delivered promptly and new blocks would be built at Cork, Wheatfield and the Midlands prisons.

There needed to be a recognition by the courts, Mr O'Callaghan said, that custodial sentences are not always appropriate.

However, he said that he was not prepared to cut sentences, as the UK did, because that would be a denial of the rights of victims.

He welcomed the introduction of body cameras and batons for prison officers and said he was bringing legislation through the Dáil to allow them to be issued with incapacitant spray.

Mr O'Callaghan said it was embarrassing that electronic tagging had not been introduced, but the process had taken longer than expected and he committed to a pilot programme by the end of the year.

"If we can tag people we can lower the numbers in prison ... and it could be very effective to ensure people comply with bail conditions, particularly remand prisoners.

"I'm introducing it because I want to reduce numbers in prison," the minister said.