Information, topic by topic, on prisons across the world

March 18, 2021

Ireland: managing uncertainty

Analysis

Coronavirus Europe Material conditions Activities Social ties Ireland

As the COVID-19 outbreaks around the world suprised most governments, how did the Irish authorities respond to the crisis behind the bars? Were prison authorities prepared to avoid the spread of the virus? Which measures were taken and how did them impact prisoners’ lives?

February 18, 2021

Ireland: prison service and HSE seek to put new supports in place to reduce self-harm in prisons

News

Europe Health Ireland

The National Office for Suicide Prevention and the Irish Prison Service want to implement new support services to address self-harming and suicidal behaviour in the country’s jails.

February 18, 2021

Ireland: €3.7m spent on medicine for prison inmates over the last two years

News

Europe Health Drugs Ireland

More than €3.7m has been spent by the Irish Prison Service on medications for inmates over the past two years. The bill at a single prison can be in excess of €50,000 a month, according to the data, with costs highest at the Midlands Prison in Co Laois. The Irish Prison Service said many of those s…

February 18, 2021

Ireland: prison service insists it is effectively dealing with potential crowding issues

News

Coronavirus Europe Overcrowding Ireland

The number of prisoners has been rising as more remand court cases and more trials are taking place.

February 17, 2021

Ireland: social distress in prison

Interview

Europe Discipline Mental health Material conditions Ireland

After a significant reform in Irish prisons, the CPT remains concerned about the conditions of detention in segregation cells and for mentally ill prisoners. A member of the monitoring body told us what she observed.

November 25, 2020

Ireland: prison service to spend €1.6m on bras, underwear for inmates

News

Women Europe Access to legal rights Material conditions Ireland

The Irish Prison Service (IPS) is set to spend more than €1.6m on bras, underwear, anoraks, and other items of clothing for inmates over the next three years. Nighties, dressing gowns, and tracksuits are among 30 categories of clothing sought by the IPS in an invitation for tenders. The successful…

March 18, 2020

Ireland: talks underway to reduce number of people in prison in a 'controlled manner'

News

Coronavirus Europe Health Ireland

Concerns had already been raised about how the Irish Prison Service would cope with Covid-19.

January 3, 2020

Ireland: prison inspection regime "not fit for purpose"

News

Europe Violence Ireland

The Irish Prison Service is using a “high risk” system to keep rival gang members separated, according to a report by the Inspector of Prisons.

January 2, 2020

Ireland: almost 60 prisoners on temporary release from Cork as the new prison surpasses capacity again

News

Europe Overcrowding Ireland

Close to 60 inmates of Cork prison were on the streets temporarily in recent days in a bid to alleviate overcrowding in the jail.

December 27, 2019

Ireland: case of brain-damaged man in prison "far from rare"

News

Europe Health Ireland

The Director of the Central Mental Hospital has said the case of a brain-damaged homeless man in prison is “far from rare”. Professor Harry Kennedy said there is a caseload of around 250 people in the prisons with severe mental illnesses or disorders. Yesterday, the President of the High Court, M…

October 4, 2019

Ireland: 23 pregnant women have been in custody in prison this year

News

Women Europe Ireland

A total of 23 pregnant women have been in custody in the country’s two female prisons so far this year, new figures have revealed.

September 20, 2019

Ireland: overcrowding an issue as prison inmate numbers rise 11% in two years

News

Europe Overcrowding Ireland

The Irish Prison Service said more people are being sent to prison and overcrowding has once again become an issue in Irish prisons. The number of inmates has increased by 11% in the last two years, with more than 4,000 people now in custody on a regular basis. Remand prisoners have increased by mo…

July 25, 2019

Ireland: evidence of wrongful surveillance by prison service staff uncovered

News

Europe Ireland

Staff exceeded remit and engaged in unacceptable practices, Minister for Justice says.

April 24, 2019

Ireland: Minister expresses ‘grave concern’ over prison deaths in internal correspondence

News

Europe Ireland

Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan has expressed “grave concern” at the handling of deaths in prisons, according to internal prison service correspondence seen by the Irish Examiner. The minister’s concern followed a recent inquest in Cork which heard that CCTV footage showed that a written reco…

March 18, 2019

Ireland: 35 cases of tuberculosis

News

Europe Health Ireland

Figures show 26 prisoners and nine officers contracted contagious disease over 10 years.

February 7, 2019

Ireland: two deaths in 10 days at Midlands prison

News

Ireland

Suicide is suspected as the cause of death in both instances, but investigations are ongoing. It is highly unusual for two deaths to occur in such a short time span in a single prison.

December 17, 2018

Ireland: vulnerable woman repeatedly assaulted upon leaving prison

News

Europe Ireland

A vulnerable woman was repeatedly sexually assaulted after being released from a Belfast prison 13 times, a report has said.

November 29, 2018

Ireland : Cork Prison officers criticised over cell checks

News

Europe Ireland

Officers at Cork Prison have been criticised over their failure to regularly inspect an inmate who was found hanging in his cell within hours of arriving in the jail.

November 10, 2018

Ireland: prison service defends luxuries in new violence reduction unit for country's most dangerous inmates

News

Europe Violence Ireland

“If they don’t experience some normality in prison how are they going to behave normally outside?”

June 20, 2018

Ireland: Court asked to hear appeal with possible implications for up to 1,000 "slopping out" cases.

News

Ireland

The Supreme Court has been asked to hear an appeal by a former prisoner with potential implications for up to 1,000 cases concerning slopping out in prisons.

May 23, 2018

Ireland: prisons unable to meet rising population’s need for mental healthcare

News

Health Mental health Ireland

Percentage of prison population with mental illness more than doubled since 2015.

May 3, 2018

Ireland: law governing detention in psychiatric units unconstitutional

News

Mental health Ireland

Court of Appeal acknowledged ‘potentially chaotic and catastrophic consequences’ of its finding.

March 21, 2018

Ireland: human rights group applies to join extradition to Poland case

News

Ireland

Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly has said a number of recent legislative changes in Poland were “so immense” that the High Court was forced to conclude that the rule of law in Poland had been “systematically damaged”.

June 23, 2017

Ireland: new bail law approved by Oireachtas

News

Ireland

Legislation providing increase guidance for the courts and greater transparency in the bail process has been approved by the Oireachtas. The Criminal Justice Bill 2016 completed its final legislative stages yesterday.