Ireland released a relatively high number of prisoners during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new figures from the Council of Europe. The Irish Prison Service (IPS) reported releasing 476 prisoners, or 12 per cent of its total prison population, to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Prisons
Overcrowding in Irish prisons will reach "unsustainable" levels if the courts continue to hand down short-term prison sentences instead of community alternatives, penal reform campaigners have said. The Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) has called for a review of legislation designed to increase the u
Prisoner numbers continued to rise in Ireland last year, putting pressure on the penal system in areas including prisoner accommodation, the provision of services and the volume of prisoner escorts. The total number of prisoners in custody in 1 January 2019 was 3,904, which increased to a peak of 4,
The measures in place to support prison officers in Northern Ireland who are experiencing work-related stress are set to be reviewed. Justice Minister Naomi Long said she would commission a "focused review" of the support mechanisms and procedures put in place by the Northern Ireland Prison Service
Ireland's prison service is submitting guidance to the World Health Organisation (WHO) after avoiding a single confirmed case of COVID-19 among prisoners and staff. Prisons in Northern Ireland, England and South America have contacted the Irish Prison Service (IPS) for advice on keeping the virus ou
Prison officers, health care and education staff have been commended for "remarkable progress" in improving performance and outcomes at Hydebank Wood Secure College and Ash House women’s prison. However, the new independent inspection reports also raise concerns about efforts to tackle the sup
Disabled prison officers have a right to reasonable workplace accommodations to facilitate their work, judges have ruled. The High Court ruled this morning that the Labour Court was wrong in law to find that the Irish Prison Service (IPS) had a blanket exemption in relation to providing reasonable a
The next government has been urged to prioritise the establishment of a Penal Policy Consultative Council following the publication of new research on reoffending. The Department of Justice's commitment to evidence-based policy-making "could be best demonstrated" through pursuing the move, first rec
A new research project on familial imprisonment has been awarded funding from the Irish Research Council (IRC). Dr Fiona Donson and Dr Aisling Parkes of UCC School of Law are leading the project, which will be delivered in collaboration with the Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT).
Families of prisoners will be able to pay small amounts of money to their relatives in the penal system at post office counters under a new system to be rolled out nationwide. The new service, developed through co-operation between the Irish Prison Service and An Post, is part of a wider drive to mo
Prison healthcare workers are set to receive a £1,300 pay boost in recognition of their "vital work". The annual "environmental allowance" will be paid into salaries by July 2020, subject to necessary business case approval.
Prisoner numbers in Ireland should be brought down faster through measures including presumption of bail, increased use of non-custodial sanctions and early releases in order to protect prisoners' rights, the Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) has said. The penal reform group made the remarks in respon
Virtual prison visits have been rolled out across Northern Ireland's prisons following the suspension of in-person visits during the coronavirus pandemic. The video-link facilities introduced at Maghaberry Prison, Magilligan Prison and Hydebank Wood allow for 20-minute "visits" between prisoners and
University of Limerick School of Law has announced the appointment of Patricia Gilheaney as an adjunct professor. Professor Gilheaney, who has a background in psychiatry and nursing, was appointed as Ireland's prisons inspector two years ago.
Up to 200 prisoners in Northern Ireland will be temporarily released before the end of their sentence under plans to tackle the spread of coronavirus. In a statement this morning, Justice Minister Naomi Long said the COVID-19 pandemic meant she had to "consider measures that only a few weeks ago wou