On average, women make up around 3.8% of the prison population, with a large number of committals concerning non-violent offences. Additionally, the majority are detained on short-term sentences. However, the impact of even short-term imprisonment on these women and their families is profound. The economic and social costs to society at large arising from the imprisonment of women are also significant.
In 2021, there were 487 women committed to prison, compared to 155 in 1999. The rate of female prison committals has risen more rapidly than for males since 2011. In addition, there continues to be significant numbers of women imprisoned for failing to pay court-ordered fines, despite the Fines (Payment and Recovery Act) 2014 which came into operation in January 2016. In 2021, 8% of female committals to prison were for non-payment of court-ordered fines – double the comparable figure for men (4%).
Major concerns remain in relation to overcrowding in both of the country’s female prisons – the Dóchas Centre and a female wing in Limerick Prison. The detention of women for immigration-related reasons is also a concern for IPRT. IPRT remains committed to working towards major policy change in relation to imprisonment of women in Ireland, with a central focus on the provision of alternatives to detention and open prison provision for women.
13th July 2018
Newstalk's Simon Tierney reports from the Dóchas Centre on the issues facing women and mothers in prison in Ireland.
9th July 2018
‘What about me?’ is essential research conducted by the Prison Reform Trust, detailing the impact on children when mothers are involved in the criminal justice system.
19th June 2018
The Prison Reform Trust (PRT) and Women in Prison (WiP) have published a report entitled ‘Home truths: housing for women in the criminal justice system'.
8th May 2018
UK charity INQUEST published their report into deaths in women's prisons on the 1st May 2018.
4th December 2017
Prison Reform Trust (2017) “There’s a reason we’re in trouble” Domestic abuse as a driver to women’s offending.
9th November 2017
The Institute for Criminal Research published the fourth edition of the World Female Imprisonment List, providing a comprehensive report on the number of women and girls in penal institutions worldwide.
1st October 2017
'Hearing Their Voices' Traveller Women in Prison is a report on the experiences of Traveller women in the Irish prison system. This report is one of the key outputs from the three year Travellers in Prison Initiative which is led by St Stephen’s Green Trust and supported by the Irish Prison and Probation Services. The report not only gives us valuable insights into the prison experiences of Traveller women in Ireland, it also gives us an insight into their lives and their pathways into prison.
14th May 2017
Article on imprisonment of women in Ireland by Cathal McMahon.
3rd May 2017
IPRT welcomes the publication of the government's National Strategy for Women and Girls 2017-2020 on 3rd May 2017.
4th April 2017
Women in Prison have produced a new report, ‘Corston +10’ on the tenth anniversary of the publication of the original ‘Corston Report'.
Respect for rights in the penal system with prison as a last resort.