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.
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.
22nd December 2016
The Ministry of Justice has just published a comprehensive review of the Youth Justice System in England and Wales. Published in December 2016, the report outlines key issues and challenges within the system and a change in approach towards youth justice in the UK, moving away from punitive responses and towards diversion and treatment. The central themes in the recommendations are for a devolved youth justice system and a focus on education.
16th December 2016
The Prison Reform Trust UK, in collaboration with the ICPR and the University of Birkbeck in London have released a report on the importance of family relations to prisoners on their release into the community.
16th December 2016
The Prison Reform Trust UK, in collaboration with the ICPR and the University of Birkbeck in London, have released a report on problem-solving approaches to criminal justice issues.
29th November 2016
On 23rd November 2016, a range of inspectorial bodies published their joint report on an announced 'low impact' inspection of Maghaberrry Prison in September. The report details serious concerns regarding the treatment of vulnerable men within the prison, with a significant reference to extended periods of isolated detention as 'solitary confinement'.
14th September 2016
This report makes recommendations towards better learning outcomes for young people and young adults in custody in England and Wales.
16th May 2016
This report from the 16th of May 2016 gives a detailed review of the state of education provision in the UK prison system, and makes recommendations mainly directed at public sector prisons in England, but with the principles set out also to be applicable to the private estate, and Wales.
27th August 2013
A new research report by the RAND Corporation has found that engagement with educational and vocational programmes in prison reduces recidivism and increases the likelihood of employment post-release.
15th August 2011
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has recently published a report making a series of evidence based recommendations on how states can reduce incarceration, reducing both costs and crime rates.
14th April 2011
A US study has found that four in ten offenders in the US return to state prisons within three years of their release
Respect for rights in the penal system with prison as a last resort.