John Lonergan, governor of Mountjoy Prison, has estimated that there are as many as 400 heroin addicts currently serving sentences in the prison, over twice the number of drug treatment places available in the institution. Speaking to the Sunday Tribune, Lonergan said that the prison system "is failing" drug addicts in need of treatment, many of whom, he said, have been addicted to heroin since the age of 12 or 13.

According to Lonergan, such is the prevalance of drugs in Mountjoy that some inmates are becoming addicted to heroin after being introduced to it while serving sentences.

"We are housing up to 400 people with histories of heroin addiction and that makes it almost impossible to restrict their access to drugs", he said.

Aside from drug use, Lonergan says the prison is suffering from severe overcrowding, with over 30 inmates sleeping on the floor at any one time. Cells designed for four people are now sleeping eight, he said.

A "huge strain" is being put on the prison by the number of inmates serving sentences of less than six months, he said.

Figures obtained by the Sunday Tribune show that of the 517 prisoners currently serving sentences in Mountjoy men's prison, 54 . . . 10% . . . are serving sentences of less than six months.

In many of these cases, says Lonergan, the courts have imposed a fine but the person has ended up in prison due to an inability to pay the fine.

The fact that a custodial sentence was not imposed by the courts shows how minor a crime many inmates are convicted of, he said.

"It's been particularly bad over the last month", says Lonergan. "We are getting an average of 20 new prisoners a day, but we had 48 in one day earlier this month. It's a case of every night looking for space on the floor to stick mattresses down. We're doubling up and even quadrupling up in cells because we just haven't got the space. We're like the hospitals . . . we simply haven't got enough beds".