As part of the Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) Strategic Plan 2023-2026, one of our main goals is to campaign for a progressive criminal justice system that upholds human rights. Engagement with the media plays a large part in that as we discuss our evidence-based research, advocate for people in prison, and work to change attitudes and challenge misconceptions about people in the criminal justice system.
Below you will see a list of most of IPRT's media features including recordings of radio discussions, links to TV appearances, and access to written articles and opinion pieces. You can also listen back to long-form recorded discussions with podcast hosts on our Podcast webpage.
25th April 2023
In a RTÉ News report on Sunday 23 April, the Irish Prison Service (IPS) confirms overcrowding crisis in prisons that IPRT have previously raised. The IPS states that prisons have reached capacity and are now overcrowded, following a temporary dip during the Covid-19 pandemic. IPRT calls on the Government to use prison as a last resort, not only for those serving shorter sentences but also for those held on remand or eligible, where appropriate, for early or temporary release.
2nd March 2023
IPRT's new report on Maternal Imprisonment argues that non-custodial measures at both pre-trial and sentencing stages should be the preferred position for pregnant women and women with dependent children.
23rd December 2022
IPRT's Executive Director Saoirse Brady writes about the impact of extremely limited access children have to their parents in prison at Christmas time.
17th December 2022
Following the news of high figures of people who have been in prison for over a year without being convicted of any crime, IPRT stress that remanding people in custody should only be used as a measure of last resort.
9th December 2022
IPRT's Executive Director Saoirse Brady joined Damien and Paul from New Creative Cleaning Services in speaking to RTÉ's Evelyn O'Rourke about living with convictions for the Today with Claire Byrne Show.
6th December 2022
Following IPRT's presentation to the Oireachtas Sub-Committee on Mental Health on our report 'Access to Rights for People Detained in Secure Forensic Mental Health Facilities in Ireland', Mary Carolan of the Irish Times reports.
26th November 2022
IPRT Executive Director, Saoirse Brady, writes about the real impacts of lifelong convictions that can follow people for decades. She explains what spent convictions are, where the law currently stands and the opportunities we can act on to change the law for the better.
31st October 2022
Noel Baker of the Irish Examiner writes about Irish Penal Reform Trust launch of an independently commissioned scoping study on access to rights for people detained in secure forensic mental health facilities...
1st September 2022
IPRT welcomed the Review of Policy Options for Prison and Penal Reform 2022-2024 and associated action plan approved by Cabinet.
27th April 2022
We launched “Sometimes I’m missing the words”: The rights, needs and experiences of foreign national and minority ethnic groups in the Irish penal system at a well-attended online event on Wednesday 27 April 2022.
Respect for rights in the penal system with prison as a last resort.