A prisoner has died at Midlands Prison in Portlaoise as a result of a suspected drug overdose.
The inmate, understood to have been in his 30s, was discovered in his cell in the Laois jail on Sunday morning.
It is understood the prisoner was seen alive before breakfast but was later discovered unresponsive in his four-man cell on Sunday morning.
A spokesman for the Irish Prison Service confirmed a death in custody at the Laois prison Sunday.
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“As with all deaths in custody, the Irish Prison Service, the Office of the Inspector of Prisons and An Garda Síochána investigate where circumstances warrant,” he said.
The cause of death is determined by the coroner’s office, the spokesman added.
This suspected overdose is the latest in a string of drug-linked health emergencies in Irish jails. In August, 11 prisoners were rushed to hospital after suffering overdoses at Portlaoise Prison, some of whom were left in a serious condition in intensive care.
There are 5,326 prisoners in custody across the country’s 14 prisons, which are overcrowded. The prisons are operating at 115 per cent capacity. Midlands Prison, with 891 beds, is operating at 113 per cent, with 1,011 inmates in custody as of Friday, according to prison service figures.
Portlaoise Prison is the most overcrowded at present, operating at 124 per cent capacity.
