Research Centre

IPRT’s advocacy work is underscored by research and evidence-led policies.

One of our key objectives is to develop a coherent and comprehensive base of research and policy documents that will enable IPRT to provide evidence-based responses to issues relating to penal reform and wider criminal justice issues.

To achieve this objective, IPRT has set out an ambitious research programme for 2009 and 2010, encompassing a range of topics within our ten priority areas:

1. Human Rights, Prison Conditions and Deaths in Prison
2. Rule of Law in Prison and Accountability
3. Women in Detention
4. Youth Detention
5. Health in Prison, including Mental Health and Drug Policy
6. Immigration Detention
7. Sentencing
8. Reintegration of Prisoners
9. Alternatives to Custody and Diversion
10. Prison Building and Prison Policy

IPRT plans to publish the following Research Papers (RPs) and Position Papers (PPs) in 2009-10:

1. PP on Human Rights in Prisons (Aug 2009)
2. PP on Penal Policy with Imprisonment as a Last Resort (Aug 2009)
3. PP on Planning the Future of Irish Prisons (Aug 2009)
4. PP on Complaints, Monitoring and Inspection in Prisons (Nov 2009)
5. RP on Children Detention (Nov 2009)
6. PP on Alternatives to Custody (forthcoming)
7. PP on Restorative Justice (forthcoming)
8. RP on Deaths in Custody (forthcoming)
9. PP on Mandatory Sentencing (July 2009)
10. PP on Health in Prison (forthcoming)
11. RP on Re-integration (forthcoming)

All publications will be available for download from the Library section of IPRT’s website.

If you would like to find out more about IPRT’s research and policy work, please contact Agnieszka Martynowicz at: research@iprt.ie