The number of assaults in Castlerea Prison tripled last year. There was also a big increase in Midlands Prison in Portlaoise. The Irish Prison Service says there were 981 physical assaults in jails throughout the country last year. That's an increase of 27% from 2023, when the figure was 773.
Two local prisons experienced significant increases. In Castlerea Prison, there were 72 occasions when a prisoner physically attacked another inmate in 2024 - up from only 20 the previous year. There was also a big increase in Midlands Prison in Portlaoise, going from 92 to 114 in the same timeframe. There was also a jump in the number of times a prisoner attacked a staff member in both jails, going from six to seven in Castlerea, and zero to two in Portlaoise.
