IPRT Submission to the Department of Justice on the Review of the Prison Visiting Committees
22nd August 2022
Prison Visiting Committees (PVCs) can play a crucial role in ensuring that people in prison are treated appropriately and afforded their human rights. Given this, we welcomed the public consultation on PVCs, to examine their existing functions, powers, appointment procedures, and reporting processes. The public consultation and overall review mark a landmark opportunity for Ireland to address the current problems with how PVCs operate and – in conjunction with the recently published General Scheme of the Inspection of Places of Detention Bill and upcoming ratification of OPCAT – work towards becoming a leader of best practice in inspection and monitoring of prisons.
The IPRT submission to the review addressed the following key issues:
- Powers, Duties and Training of the Prison Visiting Committees
- Publication of Reports
- Resourcing of the Prison Visiting Committees
- Diversity/Representation on the Prison Visiting Committees
- Awareness of the Prison Visiting Committees
In total, the IPRT submission to the review makes eight overarching recommendations for reform.
Read the IPRT submission in full here.
Related items:
- IPRT presented to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration on Pre-legislative scrutiny of the General Scheme: Criminal Law and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025
- New prisons ‘will not solve’ overcrowding crisis
- Prison overcrowding crisis has deepened further this year
- Saoirse Brady speaks to News at One in an interview given as part of coverage of Irish Prisons Annual Report 2024 Saoilaunch
- Niamh McCormack - Interview about the Committee on the Prevention of Torture's report on places of detention in Ireland.
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