Prisons

A report has recommended changes to legislation and practices underpinning the work of prison visiting committees (PVCs). The 42-page report published today follows a public and stakeholder consultation and fulfils a government commitment to review the existing functions, powers, appointment procedu

Ireland’s statutory prisons watchdog, the Office of the Inspectorate of Prisons (OIP), has recently completed an unannounced full inspection of Cork Prison. The inspection, which took place from 27 March to 5 April 2023, forms part of the Inspectorate’s new programme of regular unannounc

Northern Ireland’s High Court has determined that a prisoner’s request to attend external counselling services during the last 12 months of his sentence was not irrationally or discriminatorily denied, even if the scheme in place wasn’t “the best way to provide for resettleme

Irish prison law expert Dr Mary Rogan has won a highly competitive €150,000 grant to continue her work on human rights and prison oversight. The European Research Council (ERC) Proof of Concept grant is a spin-off award from Dr Rogan's earlier €1.5 million ERC-funded project on the inspect

A prisoner has launched judicial review proceedings over new X-ray body scanners recently introduced in Northern Ireland prisons. The Northern Ireland Prison Service announced in March that it had introduced new body scanners to tackle the trafficking of illegal contraband, including drugs.

Dr Ian Marder and Dr Joe Garrihy look at the new prisons and detention bill and assess its potential impact on prison oversight. March saw the publication of the Oireachtas joint committee on justice’s report on the draft Inspection of Places of Detention Bill. This bill has significant implic

The number of right-wing extremists in UK prisons has more than doubled in four years. Fifty-nine prisoners were classed as holding “extreme right-wing” views in 2022, up from 52 in the previous year.

There are close to 300 children in the State whose mothers are imprisoned, with devastating effects on the children and their families, according to a new report. The Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) estimates that 278 children are impacted by maternal imprisonment and recommends that the courts take

New X-ray body scanners are set to be introduced in Northern Ireland prisons to tackle the trafficking of illegal contraband including drugs. The scanners are similar to those which have already been introduced in England, Wales and Scotland, the Northern Ireland Prison Service said.

Researchers from Maynooth University School of Law and Criminology are set to study the barriers to employment for individuals with previous convictions. Dr Joe Garrihy and Dr Ciara Bracken-Roche will work with the Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) on the "Working With Conviction" project, which will

Ireland's prisons are full, according to new figures showing the total number of people in prison in the State now exceeds the number of beds available. The number of prisoners across the State yesterday reached 4,416, five more than the total 4,411 beds across all prisons. One prison — Limeri

Irish law must be urgently changed to ensure that defendants who turn 18 while awaiting trial continue to be dealt with through the child justice system, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) has been told. Molly Joyce, acting executive director of the Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT),

Northern Ireland's bail regime is out-of-step with neighbouring jurisdictions, leading to more people being held on remand and for longer, according to a new report from the criminal justice watchdog. Following the report's publication this morning, the chief inspector of criminal justice in No

Northern Ireland's High Court has granted leave for a prisoner's judicial review of restrictions likened to solitary confinement imposed on inmates returning from compassionate temporary release. The legal action — brought by prisoner Curtis Tanner, represented by solicitor Owen Beattie &mdash

Weekly prison visits have been reinstated from today for the first time since the start of the pandemic. Physical visits were suspended in March 2020 after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. They were partly reinstated in May 2022, but limited to one physical visit every two weeks.