Disadvantaged petty repeat offenders, the mentally ill, drug addicts, the homeless and the vulnerable make up a large proportion of those in an Irish prison system which is "dysfunctional and in need of radical change," a new report has concluded.
Despite this, it has commented, "the only change in the air is further expansion of this already failing system".
In their annual report for 2005, the country's prison chaplains have asked that before a stone is laid for a new prison at Thornton Hall in Dublin, "a proper and honest evaluation of our present system be undertaken".
Protesting that they had "no agenda" except to report on the reality as they found it and to be a voice for the incarcerated, they said: "We see absolutely no need for increased [ prison] spaces and earnestly ask the Minister to seriously examine alternatives before embarking on another building project."
They continued: "It seems strange to us that as a nation we would continue to spend vast sums of money on a system that is not working and that we demand no accountability for this vast prison expenditure.
"Is it that imprisonment is now a big business, a reliable employer, good for the building trade, the food industry? Huge sums of money continue to be spent on the Mountjoy complex in spite of the fact that it is to be demolished and replaced.
"Extensions approved and built in many prisons stand witness to a sustained investment in the bricks and mortar of a failing system. All of this continues while on daily basis prisoners, many of whom are able-bodied, intelligent and capable people, walk aimlessly around prison yards or lie in bed for over 17 out of every 24 hours."
They referred to another report earlier this year which showed that "half of the prison population have a history of homelessness and that significant numbers are struggling with chronic drug addiction and psychiatric illness".
That report also confirmed that "disadvantaged petty repeat offenders and not serious criminals make up a significant portion of the prison population".
The chaplains observed: "Irish prisons have become a dumping ground for the mentally ill and those struggling to cope, be it through homelessness, addiction, or vulnerability.
"As a nation we have become obsessed with locking people up. We have made imprisonment the sanction of first resort rather than a last resort. The hard facts indicate that we have got it wrong.
"We have lost the plot and now need to move towards a response to crime that will address the real issues, rather than continuing to respond with a prison system that is failing miserably for offenders, victims and society at large."