Slopping out ends in Cork Prison - June 22nd, 2016

Slopping out ends in Cork Prison with Closure of Old Cork Prison and Transfer of Prisoners to new Prison facility

The Irish Prison Service today announced that the old Cork Prison has been closed following the transfer of all prisoners (163) to the new Prison which is located on Rathmore road, Cork.

The transfer of the prisoners commenced at approximately 9.30am and was completed around 3.30pm. The old facility was then locked for the final time by outgoing Governor Jim Collins who has served the Irish Prison Service and Cork Prison for over 30 years.

The Director General of the Irish Prison Service Michael Donnellan welcomed the closure of the old prison which he said was wholly inadequate in terms of working conditions for staff and living conditions for prisoners “The new Cork Prison will provide good working conditions for staff and adequate and suitable accommodation for all prisoners in accordance with our national and international obligations. This new prison ends the practice of slopping out and provides the infrastructure and regime necessary for the education and rehabilitation of prisoners which in turn will enhance public safety”.

“I would like to pay tribute to the Governor, his management team and all the staff in Cork for their effort, flexibility and hard work in ensuring that the prison was opened today” he added.

The Director General also thanked the construction project team and the builders PJ Hegarty and Son for delivering the project. He also thanked members of An Garda Siochána who assisted the Prison Staff ensuring all prisoners were transferred to the new facility safely and securely.  

The new prison provides approximately 275 spaces for prisoners based on double cell occupancy.  The prison has a peak accommodation capacity for 310 prisoners that will only be reached in emergency circumstances. All the cells have toilets and showers.

The new prison in Cork has a completely new type of visiting facility that is centered on the need to provide an environment for visits that is welcoming and comfortable in so far as is possible in a prison setting. The new family centered visits facility reflects the recognition by the Irish Prison Service of the importance for those in prison of maintaining and, if at all possible, developing their relationships with their children and families.

  • Cork Prison was built by the British military as part of what is now known as Collins Barracks in the north inner city in the early 19th Century. Following independence the facility came under the control of the Irish Army, and was later transferred to the control of the Department of Justice for use as a civil prison in 1972.
  • The original main building comprised two three story wings A and B split by a central observation point. In 1987 a new C wing was built perpendicular to the Linear A and B Wings, and in 1980 a new D Unit was built as an extension to the B wing, to be used to accommodate disruptive prisoners. The prison had formal design capacity of 150.
  • The construction of the new prison has eliminated the practice of prisoners having to slop out. From today, 98% of all prisoners have 24-hour access to toilet facilities.
  • The number slopping out as decreased from 1,003 at the end of 2010 to just 68 today (Limerick 44, Portlaoise 24).
  • Construction on the new prison commenced in January 2016
  • The project was part financed by the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) who provided a loan to NTMA.