Education, Arts and Sports in Prison
Facilities for education and the arts in prison are provided by the Prison Education Service, which consists of a partnership between the Irish Prison Service and a range of educational agencies from the community.
A number of programmes are co-funded by the Arts Council of Ireland, including the Writers in Prison scheme and the Visual artists in prisons scheme. Some information about the Prison Education Service is available on the IPS website.
News and media items on arts (music, drama, visual art) and sports in prison are included below.
Image taken from a gallery of artwork by prisoners.
IPRT Submission to the Prison Education Taskforce
19th December 2023
IPRT submitted to the Prison Education Taskforce focusing on a range of areas relating to prison education. The submission outlines key points on prison education, offers examples of progressive practice internationally, explores some relevant data and data gaps, and makes some broad policy and practice recommendations.
Irish Examiner: Prison officer shortages impacts inmate education programmes
4th December 2023
IPRT Executive Director, Saoirse Brady, responds to the number of days educational programmes were prevented from happening due to staff shortages.
'Humans Sharing Spaces': The Irish Prison Service National Prison Creative Arts Exhibition 2017
10th March 2017
'Humans Sharing Spaces' is the Irish Prison Service National Prison Creative Arts Exhibition for 2017. It takes place in CHQ Dublin from 10th - 26th March, in partnership with the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul.
'Jail Guitar Doors' initiative in Mountjoy Prison
14th October 2014
Three of the most prized guitars from the late Philip Chevron’s collection were presented to music students inmates in Mountjoy Prison by Billy Bragg in the first JAIL GUITAR DOORS initiative in the Republic of Ireland on 14th October, 2014.
UK Arts Alliance launches online library of resources: The Evidence Library
23rd April 2013
Online library of research and evaluation of the arts in the criminal justice system launched in November 2012 by Arts Alliance in the UK.
RTÉ's Nationwide highlights artwork created by Limerick Prison inmates
13th March 2012
RTÉ's Nationwide visited Limerick Prison on last night's show, portraying artwork created by inmates which will be displayed in Kilmainham Gaol from Friday, March 16 to April 15, 2012.
RTÉ 1 Arena: 'The Old Triangle' at the Abbey Theatre
21st February 2012
On Sunday February 26th 2012, a host of Irish writers and musicians gathered at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin to celebrate the work of IPRT. Reporter Evelyn O'Rourke spoke to some of the artists in advance.
RTÉ Arts Tonight: Art Education in Prisons
14th February 2012
RTÉ's 'Arts Tonight' with Vincent Woods focuses on art education in prisons in Ireland.
Guardian: Creative and sporting activities in prison can have an impact on reoffending
18th January 2012
Writing in the 'Guardian', Erwin James makes the case for arts and sports in prisons as a means to help, motivate and encourage offenders to believe that they can live a better way.
Storybook Dads: maintaining family bonds
10th August 2011
Storybook Dads is a project run in prisons which helps maintain the vital emotional bond between prisoners and their children by helping offenders to record bedtime stories on CDs and DVDs: "Keeping families together helps to reduce re-offending by up to six times."
