4th November 2024
Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) is delighted to be the civic society project partner for the research report Boxed Out: Higher Education, Criminal Convictions, and Perceptions of Risk funded by the Irish Research Council. The research examined Higher Education Institutions' admissions policies and practices regarding people with convictions in Ireland. The evidence will aid the development of fair admissions policies and practices to reduce barriers and stigma.
The research, led by Dr Joe Garrihy and Dr Ciara Bracken-Roche of Maynooth University School of Law and Criminology, was launched on Wednesday morning, 13 November 2024 as part of a larger event 'New Opportunities: Higher Education Pathways for People with Convictions'.
The report presents evidence and recommendations for reforming admissions policies to support reintegration and reduce reoffending. The report makes 10 recommendations.
IPRT Policy and Research Coordinator, Pamela Drumgoole, opened the event and spoke about the importance of the research which builds on the data from “The Secondary Punishment”: A Scoping Study on Employer Attitudes to Hiring People with Criminal Convictions, published by IPRT earlier in the year.
The wider event was a day dedicated to driving sectoral reform and redevelopment, sharing research and practice for students with convictions. In the afternoon, three workshops outlined how current collaborations between the Maynooth University Access Programme (MAP), The Irish Prison Service (IPS), The Probation Service and the City of Dublin Education and Training Board support people with convictions. For more information about the event, visit Maynooth University's event page.
Respect for rights in the penal system with prison as a last resort.