IPRT believes that responsibility for the provision of healthcare should be transferred from the IPS to the HSE. In addition to this, IPRT believes that those with mental illness should be diverted away from the criminal justice system and should be treated within a community setting, where possible.
This section includes posts on health in prison, including mental health and drug policy.
10th April 2014
Today the NACSA released a study on the prevalence of drug use within Irish prisons. The study aimed to determine the need for drug treatment and harm reduction services in Irish prisons by estimating the prevalence of drug use, including intravenous drug use and blood-borne viruses, amongst the prisoner population.
18th October 2013
This Mental Health Foundation report explores the difficult challenge of dementia among older male prisoners.
17th September 2013
'The Irish Times' investigates how people with mental illness come into contact with the criminal justice system, tracing the cycle of criminalisation and undiagnosed mental health problems.
28th May 2013
A new sourcebook on Solitary Confinement aims to encourage policy makers and prison managers to limit the use of solitary confinement to a measure of last resort
3rd April 2013
Published on 7th March 2013 the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman report reviews the response of the Prison Service in England and Wales to a growing population of elderly prisoners.
27th February 2013
Revolving Doors Agency has published a report evaluating service user views of five mental health projects in the criminal justice system.
31st July 2012
In the second part of his report from Mountjoy Prison, Gary Culliton of The Medical Times examines how mental health is managed in the prison.
31st July 2012
A new Vera Institute(USA)report, Closing the Gap, calls for early identification of mental health needs and better interagency communication between criminal justice and health services.
19th July 2012
In the first of a two-part report by The Medical Times, Gary Culliton reveals the challenges facing severely mentally ill prisoners in Mountjoy.
16th July 2012
Spending on pharmaceuticals increased by 20% from 2004 and 2010, due to significant increases in the numbers of people being sent to prison, compounded by the high prevalence of mental illness in prisoners and a lack of adequate psychiatric and drug treatment in prisons.
Respect for rights in the penal system with prison as a last resort.