Ireland
Seen in the press
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Ireland: Prisoners to be given access to fertility treatment
Senator Mary Seery Kearney spoke with prison officials in recent days after receiving a number of queries from members of the public. She said a scheme, which will be part of the Assisted Reproduction Bill, will allow prisoners to take part in fertility treatment and the service will be available t…Source — The Irish Examiner
Ireland: prison officers 'urged inmates to attack colleagues'
A Garda file has been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on allegations that officers in Portlaoise Prison incited some of the most dangerous prisoners in the country to attack other officers.Source — Irish Examiner
Ireland: Prisoner takes court action over period of ‘almost solitary confinement'
A man jailed for an “odious and gut-wrenching” assault on his former girlfriend has brought High Court proceedings over a 14-day period of detention that left him in “almost solitary confinement” following an outbreak of Covid-19. Lee Goodchild (30), of Auburn Village, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, was…Source — The Irish Times
Ireland: Prison visits by children to see parents plummets
Justice Minister Helen McEntee confirmed in a response to a parliamentary question by Right to Change TD Joan Collins that while 11,079 children physically visited an adult in prison last year, so far in 2021 the comparable figure is 2,238 children. Physical visits to prisons were suspended for som…Source — Irish Examiner
Ireland: prison university project to "bring third-level to those furthest away from it"
The Mountjoy and Maynooth University (MJMU) project aims to become a template across the prison service to “disrupt the inevitability” of a life in and out of the prison system for many offenders. Dr Rose Ryan, director of the access programme in MU, said while the university was already involved i…Source — Irish Times
Ireland: prison service and HSE seek to put new supports in place to reduce self-harm in prisons
A new tender request jointly issued by the HSE National Office for Suicide Prevention and the Irish Prison Service said they want to “gain greater insight into the effectiveness of current practices being used in the prison service to manage self-harm and suicidality” and “obtain research and imple…Source — Irish examiner
Ireland: €3.7m spent on medicine for prison inmates over the last two years
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…Source — Irish examiner
Ireland: prison service insists it is effectively dealing with potential crowding issues
The Irish Prison Service has insisted that it is effectively dealing with potential crowding issues at jails across the country. The number of prisoners has been rising as more remand court cases and more trials are taking place. But with the COVID crisis looming over the prison system, bosses say…Source — Irish mirror
Ireland: prison service to spend €1.6m on bras, underwear for inmates
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…Source — Irish examiner
Ireland: talks underway to reduce number of people in prison in a 'controlled manner'
THE RELEASE OF some prisoners is one option being considered by the Irish Prison Service to reduce the risk of Covid-19 spreading through prisons. In a statement this evening, a spokesperson for the Irish Prison Service said that it was in discussions with the Department of Justice and Equality on…Source — The journal
Ireland: prison inspection regime "not fit for purpose"
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.Source — The Irish Times
Ireland: almost 60 prisoners on temporary release from Cork as the new prison surpasses capacity again
Close to 60 inmates of Cork prison were on the streets temporarily in recent days in a bid to alleviate overcrowding in the jail.Source — Echo
Ireland: case of brain-damaged man in prison "far from rare"
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…Source — RTÉ
Ireland: 23 pregnant women have been in custody in prison this year
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.Source — Irish Examiner
Ireland: overcrowding an issue as prison inmate numbers rise 11% in two years
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…Source — RTE
Ireland: evidence of wrongful surveillance by prison service staff uncovered
Staff exceeded remit and engaged in unacceptable practices, Minister for Justice says.Source — Irish Times
Ireland: Minister expresses ‘grave concern’ over prison deaths in internal correspondence
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…Source — The Irish Examiner
Ireland: 35 cases of tuberculosis
Figures show 26 prisoners and nine officers contracted contagious disease over 10 years.Source — Irish Times
Ireland: two deaths in 10 days at Midlands prison
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.Source — The Irish Examiner
Ireland: vulnerable woman repeatedly assaulted upon leaving prison
A vulnerable woman was repeatedly sexually assaulted after being released from a Belfast prison 13 times, a report has said.Source — RTE
Ireland : Cork Prison officers criticised over cell checks
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.Source — Irish Examiner
Ireland: prison service defends luxuries in new violence reduction unit for country's most dangerous inmates
“If they don’t experience some normality in prison how are they going to behave normally outside?”Source — The Journal
Ireland: Court asked to hear appeal with possible implications for up to 1,000 "slopping out" cases.
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.Source — Irish Examiner
Ireland: prisons unable to meet rising population’s need for mental healthcare
Percentage of prison population with mental illness more than doubled since 2015.Source — Irish Times