The disproportionate representation of migrants and minority ethnic groups in criminal justice systems across the globe is well documented. In Ireland, there has been some research on the rights and experience of migrants and ethnic minorities at policing and sentencing stages, and the over-representation of minority ethnic groups in the prison system has been highlighted to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. However, broader issues of racial and ethnic equality in the penal system remain under-explored in an Irish context, particularly in terms of accessing rights and accessing justice.
In 2020, IPRT was awarded funding from the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) to pursue a research and awareness-raising campaign focused on the rights and experiences of migrants and minority ethnic groups in the penal system in Ireland.
26th September 2024
On 26 September 2024, the Joint Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community (2023) met to discuss Travellers in Prison with presentations from Saoirse Brady (Irish Penal Reform Trust), Anne Costello (Traveller Justice Initiative hosted by Irish Penal Reform Trust), the Traveller Mediation Service and Barnardos, and was chaired by Committee Cathaoirleach, Senator Eileen Flynn.
14th December 2022
IPRT welcomes Oireachtas Justice Committee reports on ‘Minorities engaging with the Justice System’ and on ‘The approach to sanctions for possession of certain amounts of drugs for personal use’.
27th July 2022
MEDIA RELEASE: IPRT welcomed the clear focus by the UN Human Rights Committee on issues pertaining to people deprived of their liberty including prison overcrowding, access to adequate mental healthcare, the failure to publish reports relating to the Dóchas Centre, the overrepresentation of Travellers in the penal system and the need to ratify OPCAT.
23rd June 2022
Researchers at the University of Limerick have published Irish Travellers’ Access to Justice, examining the relationship between Travellers and the Irish criminal justice system. The report explored perceptions and experiences of Travellers within the criminal justice system and identified key barriers to engagement between the Travelling Community, An Garda Siochana and members of the Judiciary.
30th May 2022
IPRT welcomed the opportunity to provide this alternative report to the UN Human Rights Committee on Ireland’s fifth review under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
27th April 2022
We launched “Sometimes I’m missing the words”: The rights, needs and experiences of foreign national and minority ethnic groups in the Irish penal system at a well-attended online event on Wednesday 27 April 2022.
27th April 2022
Very little information exists on the needs and lived experiences of minority ethnic and foreign national prisoners in prisons and on probation in Ireland. This report aimed to bridge that gap and consider these needs and experiences within the context of relevant policy and law.
7th March 2022
The purpose of this first ever Criminal Justice Sectoral Strategy is to develop a shared vision for a more joined-up criminal justice system.
21st October 2021
IPRT Executive Director Fíona Ní Chinnéide appeared before the Joint Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community on Thursday 21st October to discuss Travellers’ experiences in prison in Ireland and related matters.
27th September 2021
In this short guide, the key requirements of the European Prison Rules are highlighted by Penal Reform International, with an asterisk (*) placed next to any rule that was brought in after the 2020 revision.
Respect for rights in the penal system with prison as a last resort.