Prisons

Prison leavers with a history of drug abuse will be provided with access to Naloxone under a new initiative aimed at preventing opioid overdoses during their reintegration into society.

Judges imposed sentences of less than three months' imprisonment in twice as many cases last year as five years earlier, according to new figures. A total of 994 sentences of three months or less were handed down in 2022, making up 20 per cent of all custodial sentences, The Irish Times reports. Thi

Prisoners may be able to avail of the publicly-funded fertility treatment services set to be rolled out later this year, the Irish Prison Service (IPS) has indicated. Ministers recently announced the first publicly-funded assisted human reproduction (AHR) programme in the State, which will begin in

The Irish Prison Service (IPS) is to be put on a statutory basis under legislative plans approved by ministers. The Irish Prison Service Bill 2023 will establish the IPS on a statutory footing with defined functions and responsibilities and with oversight and support from an independent non-executiv

A call to action has been issued by hundreds of women who have experienced imprisonment, alongside human rights organisations, lawyers and activists. In an open letter, coordinated by Women Beyond Walls urges the organisers of a top-tier conference in Rwanda this week to highlight the issue of femal

Inspectors have called for urgent action at Maghaberry Prison after discovering a "serious drug problem" and other issues as the prison population balloons to a record 1,230. The number of prisoners in Northern Ireland's largest prison has risen by 48 per cent in five years, from 830 prisoners at th

Ireland's prison population is growing despite government commitments to reduce prisoner numbers and welcome progress in the areas of mental health and overcrowding is at risk of being reversed, the government has been warned. The Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) today launched its annual Progress in

The High Court has ruled that a prison officer in the Irish Prison Service was not entitled to legal representation at a disciplinary hearing. The officer was facing allegations of improper conduct including that he made inappropriate contact with the wife of a prisoner and made threats against a pr

The Irish Prison Service (IPS) should continue to have responsibility for prison healthcare services, a report has recommended. Justice minister Simon Harris and health minister Stephen Donnelly today published the first comprehensive health assessment undertaken for the Irish Prison Service.

The new B Division at Limerick Prison has been officially opened by justice minister Simon Harris.

Koulla Yiasouma is to be appointed by ministers to chair the board of management of the Oberstown Children Detention Campus. Ms Yiasouma, an established leader in the area of children's rights and youth justice, will succeed Professor Ursula Kilkelly, whose term as chair comes to an end this month.

It is entirely unacceptable that people with serious mental health problems are detained in prisons, the director of the Prison Service has said. Caron McCaffrey also admitted that overcrowding was a serious problem, but added there has been a notable increase in the imprisonment of people guilty of

Plans to create 400 new prison spaces over the next five years, accommodating at least 620 additional prisoners, have been set out by the justice minister. Simon Harris announced plans to increase capacity in existing prisons across the State as he addressed the Prison Officers' Association (POA) co

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