11th June 2019
IPRT believes that the early prison release system in Ireland should be coherent, transparent and fair. We have long campaigned for the establishment of a statutory parole system, which is fully independent of political control.
Recently, we welcomed the restated commitment by the Minister for Justice and Equality, Mr Charles Flanagan TD, to work with the Opposition to progress legislation needed to advance long overdue reform of the current parole system.
As well as issuing a press release, IPRT has featured in the media on several occasions outlining our concerns around how parole currently functions in Ireland, including the devastating impact it continues to have on victims and families of victims.
IPRT Executive Director Fíona Ní Chinnéide spoke on RTÉ Drivetime on 30 May, Kfm on 7 June and CRCfm on 10 June to give an overview of the parole process as it currently stands, offer some statistics on the use of parole in Ireland, and to outline how the process can be reformed to work better for everyone. To listen back to the Kfm interview, click here and tune in from 14:55.
We look forward to continuing our engagement with the provisions of the Parole Bill 2016 when it returns at Report Stage.
For more on our work on parole reform, visit www.iprt.ie/parole
Other media:
Respect for rights in the penal system with prison as a last resort.