‘Preventable' prison deaths highlight serious systemic failures, says Irish Penal Reform Trust - Irish Times

21st February 2026

Here, IPRT said newly published Deaths in Custody reports into five prison deaths expose serious systemic failures across Irish prisons, particularly in mental health care, addiction services, and risk management. The organisation highlighted that known risks were often not acted on in time, with some deaths potentially preventable. Cases cited include failures to respond to acute mental health deterioration and inadequate safeguards around drug use, all within a system further strained by overcrowding. IPRT stressed the urgent need for accountability and reform to protect vulnerable people in state care.

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