International News
APT and ODIHR: Monitoring Places of Detention through the COVID-19 pandemic
4th June 2020
People detained prior to the pandemic have seen their rights restricted further and are exposed to greater health risks. This new practical guidance from the APT and ODIHR details how these who monitor places of detention can continue their monitoring functions during COVID-19.
TNI webinar: COVID-19 and the global fight against mass incarceration
3rd June 2020
This webinar, hosted by the Transnational Institute, examined the drivers of mass incarceration globally, and how COVID-19 has exposed these issues.
COPE webinar: ‘Keeping children connected to a parent in prison in the COVID-19 crisis and beyond’
27th May 2020
This Children of Prisoners Europe (COPE) webinar featured a series of insightful presentations, subsequent questions and discussion about the challenges that the pandemic presents for prisons, and in particular for prisoners and their families.
UN Committee against Torture publishes list of issues prior to reporting
25th May 2020
In advance of Ireland’s third periodic hearing under the UN Convention against Torture, the Committee against Torture has requested information on a list of issues from Ireland. This was informed by submissions by civil society, including IPRT.
INCLO: Civil society response to COVID-19 in prisons
21st May 2020
IPRT Executive Director Fíona Ní Chinnéide presented at an International Network of Civil Liberties Organizations (INCLO) webinar on the impacts of COVID-19 in prisons in Ireland.
UK: Ending the Detention of Unsentenced Children during the COVID-19 Pandemic
18th May 2020
Custody is a damaging environment for children in normal times, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, conditions in custody have worsened for imprisoned children. The Howard League has produced guidance for legal practitioners on how to keep unsentenced children out of pre-trial detention.
UNODC, WHO, UNAIDS and OHCHR issue joint statement on COVID-19 in prisons and other closed settings
13th May 2020
UN agencies have issued a joint statement on COVID-19 in closed settings to draw attention to the increased vulnerability of those deprived of their liberty. The human rights-led statement focuses on strategies which are crucial to protecting those in places of detention from COVID-19.
HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland Remote Monitoring Framework
5th May 2020
HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland has now developed an adapted methodology to inspection and monitoring, resulting in a Remote Monitoring Framework and Liaison Visits Framework, which will allow for the continued safe visitation to prisons and other settings, ensuring human rights are upheld.
Penal Reform International launches Global Prison Trends 2020
23rd April 2020
Global Prison Trends 2020 is the sixth edition in Penal Reform International's (PRI) annual flagship Global Prison Trends series which identifies important developments and challenges in criminal justice, and prison policy and practice. The report documents record levels of people in prison, with 11 million people now in prisons worldwide.
Adapting to COVID-19: Prison Oversight and Monitoring During a Pandemic
22nd April 2020
The Network on External Prison Oversight and Human Rights has published a special issue newsletter focusing on prison oversight and monitoring during COVID-19. Experts in oversight and monitoring in places of deprivation of liberty have contributed to the issue, to share updates on how oversight roles are shifting during this pandemic.
