IPRT promotes a penal system that is: humane as experienced by people who are detained, protects and promotes human rights and equality, and strives to achieve international best practice in formal regimes, daily practices and overall culture.
It is the sentence of deprivation of liberty in itself that is the core punitive sanction, the conditions and treatment while in prison should not be used as additional punishment.
Accordingly, we believe that while restrictions on the freedom of movement are necessarily introduced while in prison, prisoners should retain all other rights to the greatest possible degree while serving their sentences. In particular, IPRT believes that prisoners have the right to be treated with dignity and respect for their rights; they have the right to safety and security of the person, the right to be treated humanely and be free from torture, degrading or inhuman treatment or punishment.
We work to ensure that regimes in prisons and children detention facilities are humane, and reflect human rights standards as a minimum in the short term, striving for international best practice in the medium to long term.
8th August 2012
IPRT today has given a cautious welcome to proposals for a new Prisoner Complaints system.
30th March 2012
Prisoners do not lose their basic human rights when they are committed to prison, and the State has an obligation to ensure that these rights are protected through the provision of effective and fully independent complaints and investigations mechanisms, such as a Prisoner Ombudsman.
30th March 2012
This booklet aims to help prisoners understand the rights they have while in prison. It is written in everyday language and is informative and easy to use.
11th August 2011
The Scottish Government has recently published a Guide aimed at improving the relationship between people with learning disabilities and the criminal justice system.
7th June 2011
The United Nations Committee against Torture has published its Concluding Observations following Ireland's first periodic review under UNCAT.
26th May 2011
Ireland’s examination by the UN Committee against Torture took place on Mon 23 May Tues 24 May. Both sessions were broadcast live online.
20th May 2011
IPRT in conjunction with ICCL have published their submission to the UN Committee against Torture.
21st March 2011
The IPRT submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review highlights issues relating to the Irish State’s promotion and protection of human rights in prisons
14th March 2011
The Irish Human Rights Commission has published its submission to the 'Twelfth Session of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review: Ireland'. Human rights issues affecting prisons and prisoners receive particular mention.
10th February 2011
The fifth report on Ireland from the Council of Europe Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Degrading Treatment (CPT), published today (Thursday, 10th Feb 2011), is the most critical yet, and a damning indictment of a prison system that is failing to meet the most basic human rights standards of safe and humane custody.
Respect for rights in the penal system with prison as a last resort.