Mental illness in the context of prison must be viewed as a health issue requiring an effective and prompt health intervention, including diversion to appropriate treatment services outside prison. However, people with mental health issues continue to enter the prison system due to a lack of access to appropriate mental health services in the community.
This section includes posts on issues relating to mental health in prison and the wider criminal justice system. If you are looking for general health-related information, click here.
13th September 2024
The Irish Prison Service has published Self-harm in Irish Prisons – Fourth report from the Self-Harm Assessment and Data Analysis (SADA) Project (2020-2021). The report includes data on recorded episodes of self-harm that occurred in prison during the years 2020 and 2021.
1st September 2024
The Irish Examiner reported that almost 3,000 prisoners were waiting for psychology and addiction services. Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) Executive Director Saoirse Brady responded to the figures.
20th February 2024
On 15 February 2024, the Department of Justice and the Department of Health published the first annual progress report of the High Level Taskforce on Mental Health and Addiction. The progress report covers the period between September 2022 - and September 2023 and was completed in December 2023.
20th February 2024
IPRT comments in the RTÉ story covering the report by the Office of the Inspector of Prisons (OIP) which has highlighted that mental health care needs are not being fully or satisfactorily met in any of the seven prisons it inspected, with conditions repeatedly being described as "degrading".
20th February 2024
The Irish Examiner writes about the publication of a report by the Office of the Inspector of Prisons (OIP) Thematic Inspection: An Evaluation of the Provision of Psychiatric Care in the Irish Prison System February – March 2023. IPRT Executive Director, Saoirse Brady, responds.
11th May 2023
Irish Penal Reform Trust notes the publication on 11 May 2023 by the Department of Justice and the Department of Health of the Health Needs Assessment (HNA) for the Irish Prison Service.
25th October 2022
On Tuesday 25 October 2022 the Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) and Irish Criminal Bar Association (ICBA) held a Prison Law Seminar on the topic of Access to Rights for People Detained in Secure Forensic Mental Health Facilities in Ireland.
25th October 2022
Irish Penal Reform Trust launched an independently commissioned scoping study on access to rights for people detained in secure forensic mental health facilities in Ireland on Tuesday 25 October 2022....
30th September 2022
The Irish Penal Reform Trust has today (Fri 30 September 2022) welcomed the Final Report and recommendations of the High Level Task Force to consider the mental health and addiction challenges of those who come into contact with the criminal justice sector.
13th September 2022
As Ireland emerges from the emergency phase of the pandemic, there are many lessons for the authorities in regards the management of COVID-19 within prisons. In this briefing, IPRT makes nine recommendations for action.
Respect for rights in the penal system with prison as a last resort.