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IPRT Newsletter – April 2026
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Message from IPRT Executive Director
As we move through 2026, IPRT continues to work toward a more just, humane, and effective criminal justice system. The past months have been marked by important developments in our research, advocacy, and engagement, alongside changes within our team.
We said farewell to two valued colleagues in recent weeks, Tom Lord and Oisín Ó Néill, both of whom made significant contributions during their time with IPRT. As Policy and Research Coordinator, Tom led Progress in the Penal System 2024 (PIPS 2024) while Oisín, in his role as Governance and Administration Officer, brought dedication and a strong focus on good governance, rights and sustainability. At the same time, we are delighted to have welcomed new colleagues to the team: Fellipe Lopes as Communications, Content and Engagement Officer and Martha Lewis as our Policy and Research Coordinator. Bringing a wealth of experience and expertise to the team, we are excited to have both Fellipe and Martha join the team and look forward to the contributions they will make to IPRT’s work.
A key highlight of this period has been the launch of our report, From Punishment to Prevention: Poverty, Inequality and Pathways into the Irish Criminal Justice System. This important publication underscores the strong links between socioeconomic disadvantage and criminal justice involvement, drawing on the lived and living experiences of those most affected. The launch was a powerful and engaging event, combining research, discussion, and creative artwork to highlight the urgent need for a shift in focus toward prevention. The report calls for greater cross-government investment in social supports, including housing, healthcare, education, and community services, and we will continue to advocate for the implementation of its recommendations.
In another development, this period also saw significant progress on the Criminal Justice (Rehabilitative Periods) Bill 2018, which passed its second stage in the Dáil in February, following cross-party support and passing all stages in the Seanad. This long-awaited reform has the potential to transform lives by expanding access to spent convictions, supporting people to move beyond their past and access employment, housing, and other essential opportunities. IPRT will continue to work with stakeholders to ensure this legislation is progressed and enacted without delay.
As always, our work is grounded in the belief that a fair and effective justice system must prioritise dignity, rehabilitation, and social inclusion. We remain committed to advancing evidence-based reform and to working with our partners to achieve meaningful and lasting change.
Is mise le meas,
Saoirse Brady
Executive Director
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| HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE LAST QUARTER |
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IPRT Report Launch - From Punishment to Prevention: Poverty, Inequality and Pathways into the Irish Criminal Justice System
 
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| On 25 March 2026, IPRT launched our report From Punishment to Prevention: Poverty, Inequality and Pathways into the Irish Criminal Justice System at Flux Studios, Dublin.
The research examines how poverty and inequality shape pathways into the criminal justice system. Watch a video with the event highlights here.
Led by social researcher Clare O’Connor, alongside artist Aaron Sunderland Carey and peer researcher Robert Cullen, the project centres lived experience - showing how structural disadvantage, trauma, and lack of opportunity often underpin what is perceived as “choice”.
Chaired by Senator Lynn Ruane, the launch featured expert contributions from panellists Justice Paul Kelly (President of the District Court), Dr Sharon Lambert (University College Dublin and President Elect of the Psychological Society of Ireland), Martin Quigley (Pobal), and IPRT's Saoirse Brady, all highlighting the need to shift focus from punishment to prevention.
Key findings point to the intersection of poverty, housing instability, school exclusion, and unmet mental health needs, as well as persistent gendered and racial inequalities. The report also underscores the high social and financial cost of imprisonment and the need to invest in communities instead.
The event included a powerful art exhibition developed through the research, bringing participants’ lived experiences to life.
IPRT thanks all contributors, particularly the research team and Community Foundation Ireland who funded the research.
Further details of the launch event are available on our events page.
Media engagement: The launch generated substantial national media coverage, including coverage in the Irish Times, RTÉ and Newstalk as well as Kildare FM.
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| TRAVELLER JUSTICE INITIATIVE UPDATE |
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A positive step for Travellers in the Justice System
Working with the Traveller Justice Initiative (TJI) and Traveller organisations, the Probation Service has developed a two-year Working with Travellers: Priority Actions Plan (2026-2027). This plan aims to help Probation staff provide better support and ensure fairer treatment for Travellers engaging with the Probation Service.
The plan aims to:
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Improve interventions and support probation staff training: Staff will learn how their own biases, whether conscious or unconscious, may impact their work with Travellers. This training will support fair and equitable treatment in Probation reports for court and during supervision.
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Embed respect for Traveller culture: Additional supports will be provided in ways that respect Traveller culture, particularly in areas such as mental health, addiction, and homelessness.
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IPRT response to Inspection Reports from the Office of the Inspector of Prisons
Following the publication of five inspection reports by the Office of the Inspector of Prisons (OIP) on 15 January 2026, IPRT issued a press release expressing grave concern at the serious failings identified across Irish prisons.
The reports, based on inspections carried out in Mountjoy Prison, the Training Unit (Mountjoy), Cork Prison, Cloverhill Prison, and the Dóchas Centre between 2022 and 2023, reveal widespread issues including poor conditions, mistreatment of prisoners, overuse of restrictive regimes and solitary confinement, and significant failures in accountability, record-keeping, and complaints systems. IPRT also highlighted unacceptable sanitary conditions, lack of access to basic necessities, and deeply concerning practices within the Dóchas Centre, particularly the use of a restrictive ‘lock-back’ regime.
While welcoming the publication of the reports, IPRT criticised the significant delays in their release and reiterated the need for the OIP to have the power to publish its own findings independently. IPRT stressed that many of the issues identified remain ongoing and, in some cases, have worsened amid the escalating overcrowding crisis. The organisation called for urgent government action, including measures to reduce prison numbers and strengthen independent oversight, to ensure that detention conditions meet basic standards of dignity and human rights.
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IPRT response to Follow-Up Inspection Reports – Cloverhill and Mountjoy Prisons
Following the publication of follow-up inspection reports by the Office of the Inspector of Prisons (OIP) on 4 February 2026, IPRT, in a press release, expressed grave concern at the persistent failings in Cloverhill and Mountjoy Prisons.
The inspections, carried out in Mountjoy (28 April–2 May 2025) and Cloverhill (9–11 December 2024), assessed the implementation of prior recommendations. The reports reveal that overcrowding, inadequate access to facilities, poor healthcare provision, and unsafe and unsanitary conditions continue to worsen despite repeated warnings. Many cells designed for three now house four people, with some sleeping on mattresses beside toilets, contributing to heightened risk of inter-prisoner violence and inhuman treatment.
While some improvements were noted, including refurbishment of Mountjoy’s Medical Unit and certain educational initiatives, key recommendations remain unimplemented. IPRT stressed that persistent failures in bedding, clothing, healthcare access, and hygiene undermine prisoners’ dignity, safety, and rehabilitation.
IPRT called on the Minister for Justice, Migration and Home Affairs to take immediate action, including reducing prison populations through enforceable ceilings and alternatives to custody, investing in basic facilities, prioritising healthcare, and fully implementing outstanding OIP recommendations. The organisation also reiterated its call for the Inspection of Places of Detention Bill to be prioritised and for ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT) to ensure robust independent oversight.
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IPRT Response to Recent Deaths in Custody Reports
IPRT welcomes the publication of the Deaths in Custody investigation reports from the Office of the Inspector of Prisons including the long-awaited report on Mr. J (Ivan Rosney) and five additional cases (Mr M, Mr Q, Mr H, Mr N, and Mr D). IPRT's response to the report on Mr. J is linked here and a response to the five additional cases is linked here.
The reports highlight serious systemic failures, particularly in:
While some cases, such as Mr N, show that appropriate care can prevent harm, several deaths reveal avoidable failures, including delayed interventions, insufficient mental health support, and inadequate monitoring of risks.
IPRT calls for urgent reforms to ensure that preventable deaths are minimised: timely, preventative responses must be implemented; oversight and reporting processes must be strengthened; and people with serious mental health needs should not be detained in unsuitable prison environments.
IPRT extends its deepest sympathies to the families affected and urges the government to act to address these systemic issues without delay.
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Progress on the Criminal Justice (Rehabilitative Periods) Bill 2018
IPRT was delighted to see the Criminal Justice (Rehabilitative Periods) Bill 2018 pass its second stage in the Dáil on 12 February 2026. This legislation has the power to transform lives by allowing a wider range of convictions to become spent, helping people move on from their past and access housing, employment, insurance, and other opportunities that many take for granted.
For people with a conviction history, this is not just a legal change on paper — it offers hope and recognition of the people they are today, rather than the people they once were.
Watch our Executive Director and colleagues who have worked tirelessly to advance this legislation discuss why this Bill matters and what comes next:
Watch here.
IPRT thanks Senator Lynn Ruane, who first proposed the legislation in 2018 in the Seanad, and Deputy Gary Gannon, who sponsored the Bill in the Dáil. We look forward to working with them and Minister Jim O’Callaghan to secure cross-party support and ensure the legislation is enacted as a matter of priority.
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Advocacy Engagement - Advocating for Change in Psychiatric Care in Prisons
IPRT's Executive Director, Saoirse Brady, contributed to Conor Ryan’s RTÉ Investigates documentary shown on 9 and 10 February, which exposed the failures of Ireland’s mental health system. The programme highlights how people in urgent need of psychiatric care are often placed in prison cells rather than receiving hospital or community-based support.
Cases involving people such as Ivan Rosney, who died in custody after being turned away from mental health services, demonstrate the urgent need for practical alternatives and systemic reform.
IPRT has written to key government ministers, including Jim O’Callaghan, Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Dr. Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD, Minister for Health, and Mary Butler TD, Minister of State for Mental Health, urging the convening of a high-level roundtable with agencies and advocates to discuss immediate and long-term solutions.
Advocacy Engagement at LEAP Conference: Advancing Fair and Human-Centred Justice
In February, IPRT's Legal and Public Affairs Manager, Niamh McCormack attended the LEAP Annual Conference in Athens with Fair Trials, connecting with criminal justice professionals from across Europe to discuss shared challenges and solutions. The conference featured insights from UN Special Rapporteur Margaret Satterthwaite on threats to the rule of law, alongside discussions on issues such as limits to judicial review in Ireland and access to legal aid. It also provided an opportunity to exchange updates with colleagues from across Europe on prison conditions and extradition.
Meeting on OPCAT with officials from Department of Foreign Affairs and Department of Justice
At the beginning of April, IPRT’s Executive Director, Legal and Public Affairs Manager and Policy and Research Coordinator met with officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Human Rights Unit and the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration legislation section to discuss progress on the Inspection of Places of Detention Bill and OPCAT ratification particularly in light of Ireland’s upcoming European Union presidency and bid to secure a seat on the UN Human Rights Council. We urged the State to ratify OPCAT without delay. However, clearly this will require the underpinning legislation to be listed for priority publication in the summer legislative term. We also emphasised the importance of Ireland’s ongoing support for the European Convention on Human Rights and emphasised that this cannot be undermined.
Submission to the UN on Ireland’s Universal Periodic Review
IPRT made a submission to the UN Human Rights Council on Ireland’s Universal Periodic Review. Our submission calls for the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention Against Torture (OPCAT) nearly 20 years after Ireland signed it in 2007. We also raise the serious human rights concerns in relation to prison conditions, overcrowding and mental health.
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Changes to the IPRT Team
Recent weeks have brought both farewells and new beginnings for the IPRT team.
We were sorry to say goodbye to Tom Lord and Oisín Ó Néill, who each made valuable contributions during their time with IPRT. We are grateful for their work and wish them every success in the future.
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At the same time, we are delighted to welcome two new colleagues to IPRT.
Fellipe Lopes joined us in February as Communications, Content and Engagement Officer, bringing expertise in communications, storytelling, and human rights. He has previously worked with Spunout.ie, humanitarian organisations, and the Immigrant Council of Ireland. You can read Fellipe's full bio on our website here.
More recently, we welcomed Martha Lewis as our new Policy and Research Coordinator who has a strong background in human rights advocacy and research, having worked with organisations including the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, the United Nations, and Front Line Defenders. You can read Martha's full bio on our website here.
We are excited about this next chapter for the team and look forward to the energy, expertise, and perspectives Fellipe and Martha will bring to our work.
 
Fellipe Lopes – Communications, Content and Engagement Officer Martha Lewis – Policy and Research Coordinator
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Add your voice - become a Friend or Member
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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.
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