As always, feel free to get in touch with any feedback or comments on our work. The best way to get real-time updates on our work is to join us on social media.
All the best,
Pamela Communications Officer
Appointment of new IPRT Executive Director
We recently announced the appointment of Saoirse Brady as IPRT’s new Executive Director.
The appointment follows a rigorous external recruitment process led by the IPRT Board of Directors.
Saoirse is no stranger to IPRT, having supported IPRT’s advocacy work on youth justice and children of prisoners during her time working as Head of Legal, Policy and Public Affairs at the Children’s Rights Alliance. Most notably, Saoirse has served as a member of the IPRT-UCC Action for Children and Families Network and spoke at the launch of IPRT’s newest report on children and families of prisoners, Piecing it Together, in July 2021.
We look forward to Saoirse joining our small but mighty team on 3rd May. We’ll include a short message from Saoirse in our next Ebulletin to introduce her to you and our other supporters.
Visit our website to read comments from Saoirse and our Chairperson, Dr Seamus Taylor, on the appointment.
Upcoming report launch: “Sometimes I’m missing the words”: The rights, needs and experiences of foreign national and minority ethnic groups in the Irish penal system
In case you missed it, we are launching “Sometimes I’m missing the words”: The rights, needs and experiences of foreign national and minority ethnic groups in the Irish penal system on Wednesday 27 April 2022, 4pm - 5.45pm.
We have finished putting the final touches on the report and we’re really looking forward to sharing it with you!
The report, commissioned by IPRT from the Maynooth University School of Law and Criminology, presents the findings of a small-scale exploratory study examining the rights, needs and experiences of prisoners and people with experience of probation who are from foreign national, migrant or minority ethnic backgrounds.
We are delighted that the event will feature a conversation with The Rt Hon David Lammy MP, author of an independent review into the treatment of, and outcomes for, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic individuals in the criminal justice system in England & Wales.
Visit our website for details of our amazing line-up of contributors and to register. All welcome to attend!
This project is supported by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, under the Human Rights and Equality Grant Scheme 2020-2021.
Since we wrote to you last, we have been invited to give evidence before the Joint Committee on Justice on two occasions – this, we believe, is a testament to the value placed on our work by key stakeholders.
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice – Rehabilitative opportunities (29 March)
We welcomed the opportunity to make a submission to the Joint Committee on Justice on the topic of ‘an examination of rehabilitative opportunities within the prison system’. We focused on mental health and addiction services, living conditions, post-release barriers and opportunities and more. You can read our submission on our website The IPRT Opening Statement and a link to watch the session back are both available here.
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice – Anti-social behaviour (22 February)
Our submission to the Committee highlighted strategies that do not work to deter anti-social behaviour (ASB), as well as pointing to evidence of what has been shown to work. In particular, approaches that focus on addressing the underlying causes of ASB and offending are more effective in reducing such behaviours. You can read our submission here. The IPRT Opening Statement and a link to watch the session back are both available on our website.
Recent External Publications
Visiting Committee Annual Reports 2020
Last month, the Department of Justice published the 2020 Annual Reports from the Visiting Committees for each of Ireland’s prisons. These are the first published Visiting Committee reports that relate to the pandemic period.
Common issues echoed across various Visiting Committee Annual Reports for 2020 include: the “frightful” (Cloverhill) experience of quarantine; high levels of drug dependency; limited access to showers; poor and deteriorating mental health; insufficient healthcare/psychology staffing numbers; lack of adequate beds in a secure forensic setting to meet the needs of prisoners with a diagnosis of severe mental illness; and limited access to education, workshops or other rehabilitative activities. Read IPRT’s summary of the key issues outlined in the reports here.
Council of Europe SPACE I Reports 2021
The Council of Europe SPACE I report was published earlier this month. This report is published annually and contains information on prison populations from 52 prison administrations in the Council of Europe member states. While Ireland performs comparatively well, the figures in the report relate to a year or more ago. Newer figures indicate that the opportunity presented by the pandemic to keep prisoner numbers low is likely being missed. Read the report and 'Key Findings' on the Council of Europewebsite. See media coverage of IPRT’s response to the report on Irish Legal News.
Second Interim Report of the Sentencing Guidelines and Information Committee (SGIC)
The SGIC published the Second Interim Report prepared by the University of Strathclyde as part of a project on “Assessing Methodological Approaches to Sentencing Data Collection and Analysis”. This report provides a review and analysis of the range of data methodologies adopted in three jurisdictions where a body equivalent to the Sentencing Guidelines and Information Committee has been established. The next report in this series will make recommendations to the SGIC on the methodological framework which can be employed in Ireland. Read the report on the Judicial Council website.
Department of Justice publications
The Department of Justice recently published two documents of relevance to IPRT’s work: Justice Plan 2022 and the Criminal Justice Sectoral Strategy. > Justice Plan 2022 is the second in a series of annual plans detailing how the ambition set out in the Department Strategy 2021-2023 will be delivered each year. You can read more about the actions relating to penal reform that are due to be delivered in 2022 here. > The purpose of this first-ever Criminal Justice Sectoral Strategy is to develop a shared vision for a more joined-up criminal justice system. This is welcomed by IPRT, particularly the focus on using data as a driver of the Department’s work. You can find the Strategy and a summary of the actions of relevance to IPRT’s work on our website.
Sector News
‘Conversations on the Margins’ by Senator Lynn Ruane
Those of you who are active on social media might have heard about Senator Lynn Ruane’s new podcast ‘Conversations on the Margins’. The podcast, recorded in Wheatfield Prison, features meaningful conversations and discussions about life, family, art, music and more. We are delighted to have been involved with the podcast, funded by The Rowan Trust. New episodes are being released weekly, with five episodes available to catch up on now and a new episode due to launch tomorrow.
You can listen back wherever you get your podcasts, but here are the links to tune in on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
ACJRD Annual Irish Criminal Justice Agencies Conference 2022
Association for Criminal Justice Research and Development (ACJRD) Annual Irish Criminal Justice Agencies Conference 2022 will take place on Wednesday 22 June 2022 in Dublin Castle. More details on the ACJRD website – registration will open shortly.
Add your voice - become a Friend or Member
IPRT relies on a network of committed supporters who share our vision for change. By becoming a Friend or Member of IPRT, you add your voice to our campaign for a more humane and equitable penal system.
To find out more about supporting our work, please visit our Friends or Membership pages.
IPRT relies on donations from charitable trusts, individual donations and membership subscriptions to cover operational costs. We have also received funding from donor-advised funds and project funds managed by the Community Foundation for Ireland and project funding from the Human Rights and Equality Grants Scheme of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission.
IPRT receives core funding from:
The Scheme to Support National Organisations is funded by the Government of Ireland through the Department of Rural and Community Development.
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