27th March 2015
IPRT is currently inviting tenders for a research project on 'Improving Prison Conditions by Strengthening Infectious Disease Monitoring'.
Prisons represent high risk environments for the transmission of infectious diseases, and clinical guidelines and indicators on prison healthcare have been adopted. However, these do not sufficiently or consistently come into play in the work of human rights-based prison monitors.
In addition, despite international and European jurisprudence that the absence of adequate medical services in places of detention, can contribute to, or even constitute, conditions that meet the threshold of ill treatment, across Europe inspection of infectious diseases is not part of the current approach to the prevention of ill treatment, and is therefore not a priority during monitoring unless it forms a specific aim of the mission.
IPRT has secured funding to participate in a European Commission funded research project led by Harm Reduction International which is expected to address this important gap.
Based on expert consultation, desk-based research and legal analysis, it will compile key indicators, rooted in international human rights law, public health standards, and national best practice. These will be collated into a tool for rights-based prison monitoring mechanisms for consistent and sustainable improvement in infectious disease monitoring as part of their mandates.
The overall project objective is to reduce ill-treatment of persons in detention and improve prison conditions through improved and standardised monitoring and inspection mechanisms on infectious diseases (TB, HIV and HCV) meeting IPRT’s dual strategic aims of promoting human rights within prisons and strengthening monitoring systems.
Full details are available here.
Tenders should be submitted by e-mail to director@iprt.ie by noon on Friday 27 March 2015.
Respect for rights in the penal system with prison as a last resort.