IPRT promotes a penal system that is: humane as experienced by people who are detained, protects and promotes human rights and equality, and strives to achieve international best practice in formal regimes, daily practices and overall culture.
It is the sentence of deprivation of liberty in itself that is the core punitive sanction, the conditions and treatment while in prison should not be used as additional punishment.
Accordingly, we believe that while restrictions on the freedom of movement are necessarily introduced while in prison, prisoners should retain all other rights to the greatest possible degree while serving their sentences. In particular, IPRT believes that prisoners have the right to be treated with dignity and respect for their rights; they have the right to safety and security of the person, the right to be treated humanely and be free from torture, degrading or inhuman treatment or punishment.
We work to ensure that regimes in prisons and children detention facilities are humane, and reflect human rights standards as a minimum in the short term, striving for international best practice in the medium to long term.
26th June 2014
Today, the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, IPRT is highlighting that the Government still hasn't met its commitment to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT).
25th February 2014
The Howard League for Penal Reform has established an independent Commission on Sex in Prison to undertake the first ever review of both consensual and coercive sex inside prison.
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.
8th August 2012
IPRT today has given a cautious welcome to proposals for a new Prisoner Complaints system.
30th March 2012
This booklet aims to help prisoners understand the rights they have while in prison. It is written in everyday language and is informative and easy to use.
30th March 2012
Prisoners do not lose their basic human rights when they are committed to prison, and the State has an obligation to ensure that these rights are protected through the provision of effective and fully independent complaints and investigations mechanisms, such as a Prisoner Ombudsman.
11th August 2011
The Scottish Government has recently published a Guide aimed at improving the relationship between people with learning disabilities and the criminal justice system.
7th June 2011
The United Nations Committee against Torture has published its Concluding Observations following Ireland's first periodic review under UNCAT.
26th May 2011
Ireland’s examination by the UN Committee against Torture took place on Mon 23 May Tues 24 May. Both sessions were broadcast live online.
Respect for rights in the penal system with prison as a last resort.