Irish Penal Reform Trust

IPRT in the News

Irish Examiner Mick Clifford Podcast: SECOND CHANCE: Damien Quinn and Saoirse Brady

15th February 2024

People who have served a prison sentence for a criminal offence are entitled to believe that once the sentence is completed they have paid their debt to society. That does not appear to be the case. New research shows that there are huge barriers to ex-prisoners finding employment and that the past simply won’t leave them alone. Damien Quinn was one such person, who had to fight hard to rebuild his life once he finished his sentence. He and Irish Penal Reform Trust Executive Director Saoirse Brady are this week’s guests on the podcast.

Irish Examiner: Nine in 10 employers would consider hiring someone with convictions – report

8th February 2024

IPRT comments on its report "The Secondary Punishment": A Scoping Study on Employer Attitudes to Hiring People with Criminal Convictions, which shines a light on employer attitudes towards hiring people with convictions.

RTÉ Radio One Drivetime: Irish Penal Reform Trust Convictions/Employment

8th February 2024

Saoirse Brady, Executive Director of Irish Penal Reform Trust and Damien Quinn founder of Spéire Nua, spoke on RTÉ Radio One Drivetime about the new research published by IPRT that shows barriers remain for people with a history of convictions to finding work.

The Irish Times: Conviction for crime should not mean ‘a lifetime of discrimination’

8th February 2024

IPRT and Damien Quinn reflect on the barriers to people with convictions finding work and the new report on employers. attitudes to hiring people with convictions.

Irish Times: ‘Not my crime, but still my time’: The families serving jail terms outside for loved ones

6th February 2024

IPRT comments on the impact imprisonment has on children and families of people in prison, details about prison visits and other issues arising from overcrowding in prison.

Law Society Gazette: Dóchas report ‘leaves questions unanswered’

29th January 2024

The Law Society Gazette reported on IPRT's response to the publication by the Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee of the Office of the Inspector of Prisons (OIP) Inspection Report Oversight Monitoring Visit During COVID-19 Pandemic Mountjoy Female Prison (Dóchas Centre) 2020 and supporting Action Plan.

RTÉ: Irish Penal Reform Trust calls for Dóchas Centre reports to be published

26th January 2024

Almost four years after the Office of Inspector of Prisons conducted its first Covid-19 inspection in the Dóchas Centre, IPRT welcomes that Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee, has published the report (albeit redacted in parts) but calls for the release of subsequent investigation reports.

Irish Examiner: Mounting pressures cramming already full Irish prisons

17th January 2024

Cormac O'Keeffe of the Irish Examiner reported on the monthly figures of people in prison released by the Irish Prison Service (IPS) and compared them to previous statistics. IPRT responds to the numbers and calls for action to deliver existing commitments.

Irish Examiner: Record prison overcrowding 'set to worsen'

17th January 2024

IPRT response to an analysis of data conducted by the Irish Examiner, showing the mounting pressures on the prison system.

Irish Times podcast: Does Ireland need more prison cells or fewer prisoners?

9th January 2024

IPRT speaks to Sorcha Pollak of the Irish Times In The News podcast alongside Irish Times Crime and Security Editor Conor Lally about reducing the number of people sent to prison.

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