INMATES at Limerick Prison rang up a phone bill of almost €18,000 over the past two years.
That’s according to data released under a Freedom of Information request that shows the Irish Prison Service (IPS) has spent €530,000 on phone services nationwide over the same period so prisoners could maintain contact with family and friends.
The Irish Examiner reported that €26,000 was spent in Cork Prison on phone bills, while €66,000 was dialled up at Dublin’s Mountjoy Prison. Just €12,000 was spent at the Arbour Hill prison for sex offenders.
The Irish Prison Service is currently working to provide in-cell phone services for prisoners nationwide to facilitate more privacy for inmates and their families and to allow better communication with partners, families, and children.
