Thousands get no prison visit

ALMOST 18,000 prisoners in Ireland were recorded as not receiving visits in a year, according to new figures.

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Data released under the Freedom of Information Act shows that between 2019 and 2024, an average of nearly 2,900 prisoners a year were left without standard visitation, with the figures peaking in 2021 during the pandemic, when 3,147 inmates did not receive any normal visits.

The figures, provided by the Irish Prison Service, reflect the number of incarcerated people each year who are not visited by family and friends.

Saoirse Brady, executive director of the Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT), said families often faced barriers when trying to maintain contact with incarcerated loved ones.