DUBLIN, Ireland: The annual report of the Mountjoy Prison Visiting Committee (MPVC) for 2024 included various complaints from inmates, including the unavailability of gluten-free food, mash with every meal, overcrowding, cockroaches in a prison cell, and clothes shrunk by the laundry.

In their 27-page report submitted to the Minister for Justice, Jim O'Callaghan, the visiting committee stated that the overcrowding was worsening, with the capacity at 118 per cent at the end of 2024.

The report said the overcrowding problem in the prison was compounded by staff shortages and the strain put on the system by having up to 35 percent of the prisoners on protected status.

The MPVC has urged the Irish Prison Service (IPS) to tackle what it described as poor and often degrading prison conditions. The committee said some prisoners are forced to use the toilet in front of cellmates, highlighting the lack of basic privacy and dignity.

According to the MPVC, many double-up cells are designed for only one person. In these cells, one prisoner often has to sleep on a mattress on the floor, either with his head beside the base of the toilet or near the cell door.

The committee warned that sleeping near the door puts prisoners at risk of being struck if it has to be opened urgently. It stressed once again that placing two men in a space meant for one creates a degrading and unhygienic environment for both.

The report said poor living conditions persist in parts of the prison, with complaints about damp walls, cold cells, broken toilets, leaking sinks, and generally unhygienic surroundings. Overcrowding worsened further in 2025, with IPS figures showing the prison operating at 136 per cent of capacity on December 24, 2025. At that time, 178 prisoners were sleeping on mattresses on cell floors.

The MPVC reported a sharp rise in complaints in 2024, up 46 per cent to 373 from 256 the previous year. The most common complaints related to cell and accommodation issues, followed closely by visiting arrangements. Hygiene complaints included reports of cockroaches in cells and even a dead pigeon on a window ledge.

Other complaints included dissatisfaction with staff treatment, reduced phone access, loss of minor privileges, and frequent service cutbacks due to staff shortages.

Concerns were also raised about refused visits, limited education provision, and a lack of support for prisoners preparing for release, including fears of homelessness.

The report also noted that around one-third of Mountjoy prisoners were on restrictive regimes in 2024 for their own safety, spending up to 22 hours a day locked in their cells.