Ireland's prison population is growing faster than in any other country in western Europe, according to new Council of Europe figures. Irish prisons were virtually full as of 31 January 2023, with 99.4 prisoners for every 100 places available, according to the 2023 penal statistics published today.
Prisons
Foreign nationals — including from other EU countries — appear to be less likely to be granted bail by Irish judges in contradiction to EU guidance on the matter, according to new research. The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) today published a research report into the use of pre
Men incarcerated in Irish prisons face significant barriers to accessing mental health care, according to new research published by Mental Health Reform. The Mental Health Services & Supports in Prisons: Service Mapping and Reflections from Lived Experiences report, published yesterday, highligh
The High Court has directed a modular trial in a “slopping out” case which is prima facie out of time, the events complained of having occurred 16 years prior to the institution of proceedings. Delivering judgment for the High Court, Mr Justice Garrett Simons determined that: “It w
Politicians and legal academics have signed an open letter opposing government plans to expand prisons and calling for evidence-based alternatives. Senator Lynn Ruane, Labour leader Ivana Bacik and the Social Democrats' Garry Gannon are among signatories to the letter, which was featured in The Iris
Penal reform campaigners have urged the new Taoiseach to tackle "the root causes of offending" instead of focusing on "harsher penalties and prison expansion". In a letter to Simon Harris, the head of the Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) said it has concerns about current "political rhetoric... and t
More than €75 million is to be invested in the Irish Prison Service and An Garda Síochána as part of a €93 million capital funding package announced today. The additional funding brings the total capital allocation available for the justice sector in 2024-2026 to €930 mi
The Northern Ireland Prison Service has launched a new online visit booking system which has been hailed as the first of its kind in the UK. In-person and virtual visits to any prison in Northern Ireland can now be booked via the nidirect.gov.uk website.
Penal reform campaigners have called for urgent action after a watchdog found that mental healthcare needs are not being fully or satisfactorily met in any of the seven prisons it inspected. A damning thematic inspection report published today by the Office of the Inspector of Prisons describes a nu
Northern Ireland's justice minister, Naomi Long, has welcomed the findings of two review reports on Maghaberry and Magilligan Prisons. The two independent review reports are intended to provide assurance or highlight issues which need addressed in advance of a full inspection.
The overwhelming majority of Irish employers say they would consider hiring someone with a history of convictions, but significant barriers remain to making this a reality, new research by the Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) suggests. The NGO today published a new report titled "The Secondary Punish
The remains of executed prisoners will be removed from the grounds of Mountjoy Prison over the next six to seven months. An excavation is planned to begin this month in an area thought to contain the remains of the 29 prisoners executed by the State between 1923 and 1954, and potentially the remains
Around three per cent of prisoners have been granted varying periods of temporary release for Christmas, the Irish Prison Service has announced. The temporary release of 129 prisoners marks a return to normality after two years in which the numbers were drastically reduced as a result of the pandemi
The High Court has refused to grant injunctive relief restraining the dismissal of a recruit prison officer arising from a discovery of plastic bags which tested positive for cocaine in his training accommodation. Delivering judgment for the High Court, Mr Justice Rory Mulcahy determined: “Com
An Irish criminologist's book on "pain, resistance and purpose" behind bars has won a major prize in the United States. Prison Life: Pain, Resistance and Purpose by Professor Ian O'Donnell of UCD Sutherland School of Law is the 2023 winner of the Outstanding Book Award, the top literature prize give