Caron McCaffrey

The strategy has been built around five pillars: staff support; prisoner support; safe and secure custody; the prison estate; and governance.

focusing on staff and prisoner support, the safety and security of the prison estate, investment in prisons and improved governance.

Writing in the foreword to the Strategic Plan 2019-2022, Caron McCaffrey, director general of the Irish Prison Service, said: “Throughout all of our strategic aims, a key common priority is to recognise that the context within which the Irish Prison Service operates is continually evolving and is becoming increasingly complex and challenging.

“This strategic plan will support innovation and collaboration in how we operate to make the most of the skills and expertise available to enable us to recognise and address the gaps in our service capabilities and structures.”

Launching the plan yesterday, Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan welcomed the fact that improvement to the governance structures of the Irish Prison Service, including the appointment of a new prisons advisory board, was at its core.

Mr Flanagan said: “Over the years, various reports have called for reform of the governance of the Irish Prison Service. Most recently, recommendations were made in the Effectiveness and Renewal Group Report regarding the transformation of the Department of Justice and Equality, which repeated the recommendation that the Irish Prison Service become a scheduled office under primary legislation.

“This is very important and my Department is working with the director general, and the Irish Prison Service, to design a new governance framework for the Prison Service which will strengthen governance, compliance and accountability.

“This new governance structure, together with the new advisory board, will support existing external oversight of the Irish Prison Service already in place.”