Irish Penal Reform Trust

International

The work of IPRT is led by a number of standards developed by international bodies, organisations and courts in relation to imprisonment and wider issues of the State’s penal policy. In particular, our work is based on the commitment to implement in Ireland a human rights-based approach to penal policy.

With this in mind, IPRT’s research, policy and awareness-raising campaigns are developed to support and monitor the implementation in the context of penal policy in Ireland of the United Nations and Council of Europe standards.

The IPRT is also committed to the promotion of best practice examples that have proved effective in other jurisdictions. To this end, we aim to provide a comprehensive library of good practices that can be accessed and used by practitioners, academics, prisoners, and anyone else interested in penal reform and penal policy. The Library is updated on a regular basis to take into account most recent developments in this area.

Council of Europe Produce 'Compendium of Conventions, Recommendations and Resolutions relating to Prisons and Community Sanctions and Measures'

1st May 2017

The Council of Europe have produced a 'Compendium of Conventions, Recommendations and Resolutions relating to prisons, community sanctions and measures' which contains rules, regulations and guidelines supporting European best practice on prison administration and community sanctions.

UK: 'PPO’s learning lessons bulletin: self-inflicted deaths among female prisoners’

28th March 2017

UK Prisons and Probation Ombudsman Nigel Newcomen has highlighted a “lack of concerted and sustained action” following a rise in the number of suicides among female prisoners.

Round-up: Council of Europe 'SPACE I' Annual Penal Statistics in Europe for 2015

22nd March 2017

The Council of Europe have published their Report: SPACE I Annual Penal Statistics in Europe for 2015, containing a detailed breakdown of penological trends across Europe.

National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) Guidance: Isolation in detention

10th February 2017

The NPM in the UK has published a report Isolation in detention (2017) that sets out clear guidance in relation to the practice of isolation in detention and prison settings. The guidance aims to ensure that those subjected to isolation are not adversely impacted by it. The guidelines set out specific standards which should be followed to minimise the effects of isolation on various groups of people including children in custody. Research shows significant differences between the impact of isolation on adults compared to children due to the cognitive development of children and their perceptions of time which differ from those of adults.

UK: Harm & Evidence Research Collaborative (HERC): 'Prison is not a safe place for people with mental health problems'

6th February 2017

Article by Deborah H. Drake and David Scott of The Open University, which states that for those living in extreme environments, such as prison, it becomes difficult to draw a line between mental well-being and diagnosable mental illnesses.

Norway: ‘Women in Prison: A Thematic Report about the conditions for female prisoners in Norway’

20th January 2017

'Women in Prison' is the first thematic report published by the Norwegian Parliamentary Ombudsman under its UN mandate as the national preventive mechanism against torture and ill-treatment.

UK Report: ‘Rehabilitation by Design: Influencing Change in Prisoner Behaviour’, by Gleeds UK

20th January 2017

Gleeds UK have released a report that examines the way in which the design of a prison can influence re-offending rates in England and Wales.

UK Report: ‘Rebalancing Act’, a resource for Directors of Public Health, Police and Crime Commissioners and other users

12th January 2017

A report which examines the direction to be taken to improve healthcare provision for those who have involvement in the Criminal Justice System in the UK.

UK: Prison and Probation Ombudsman’s Learning Lessons Bulletin Number 3: on Transgender Prisoners

10th January 2017

A bulletin has been released by the Office of the Prison and Probation Ombudsman (PPO). This 'Learning Lessons' bulletin explores the care and management of transgender individuals while in prison.

UK: Overlooked and Overrepresented: Gypsy, Traveller and Roma children in the youth justice system

22nd December 2016

An analysis of 12-18-year-old Gypsy, Traveller and Roma perceptions of their experiences in Secure Training Centres and Young Offender Institutions.

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Respect for rights in the penal system with prison as a last resort.

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