IPRT in the News
As part of the Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) Strategic Plan 2023-2026, one of our main goals is to campaign for a progressive criminal justice system that upholds human rights. Engagement with the media plays a large part in that as we discuss our evidence-based research, advocate for people in prison, and work to change attitudes and challenge misconceptions about people in the criminal justice system.
Below you will see a list of most of IPRT's media features including recordings of radio discussions, links to TV appearances, and access to written articles and opinion pieces. You can also listen back to long-form recorded discussions with podcast hosts on our Podcast webpage.
Inmates still earn just 50 cents for a day's work in Irish prisons - Dublin Inquirer
20th March 2026
This article highlights the financial struggles prisoners face in Ireland, with low gratuities and limited earnings making it difficult to buy basics or support themselves and their families. IPRT emphasised that these inadequate payments, combined with high costs and barriers to addiction and mental health supports, leave prisoners vulnerable and reliant on family assistance. IPRT called for fairer rates to ensure prisoners can cover essential needs, participate meaningfully in prison work, and prepare for life after release.
Documenting one man's unravelling before a deportation flight to Nigeria, observer had to rely on second-hand accounts - Dublin Inquirer
1st March 2026
This article highlights concerns regarding a deportation flight to Nigeria. IPRT welcomed the role of a human rights monitor, noting that the aircraft should be treated as a place of detention, and stressed that the monitor should be able to observe the entire operation, from prison transfer to departure. The organisation also expressed concern about reports that one deportee became agitated, potentially due to not receiving prescribed medication before leaving prison, underscoring the need for proper care and safeguards for immigration detainees, including when held in regular prisons under the new Immigration Bill.
Deaths in custody up from 24 to 31, over one year - Law Society Gazette
24th February 2026
IPRT said the increase in deaths in custody from 24 to 31 in one year highlights worsening systemic failures across the prison system. Responding to five investigation reports, the organisation emphasised that many of the deaths were preventable and linked to overcrowding, inadequate mental health and addiction services, and failures in risk management and medical oversight. IPRT pointed to repeated instances where clear warning signs were not acted upon and called for urgent Government action to address these persistent deficiencies and ensure accountability.
‘Preventable' prison deaths highlight serious systemic failures, says Irish Penal Reform Trust - Irish Times
21st February 2026
Here, IPRT said newly published Deaths in Custody reports into five prison deaths expose serious systemic failures across Irish prisons, particularly in mental health care, addiction services, and risk management. The organisation highlighted that known risks were often not acted on in time, with some deaths potentially preventable. Cases cited include failures to respond to acute mental health deterioration and inadequate safeguards around drug use, all within a system further strained by overcrowding. IPRT stressed the urgent need for accountability and reform to protect vulnerable people in state care.
Reports into deaths in custody ‘highlight serious systemic failures', says Irish Penal Reform Trust - Irish Independent
20th February 2026
In this article, the Irish Penal Reform Trust criticised the delayed release of the Death in Custody report into Ivan Rosney’s death at Cloverhill Prison, which came only after an RTÉ documentary. IPRT highlighted that systemic failures in mental health and prison services contributed to his death and stressed that families should not have to wait years for answers. IPRT Executive Director Saoirse Brady called the report “distressing” and emphasised the urgent need for accountability and reform.
Psychiatric care and prisons - Why is the State relying on prisons to fill the gaps in a broken system - The Journal.ie
13th February 2026
IPRT Executive Director, Saoirse Brady, wrote an op-ed following the RTÉ Investigates documentary on psychiatric care. She highlights how failures in Ireland’s mental health system are resulting in people in crisis being placed in prisons rather than receiving appropriate care. The piece outlines the human impact on individuals and families, as well as the State’s obligations under human rights frameworks. It calls for urgent investment in mental health services and an end to the use of prisons as a substitute for healthcare.
Inspector of Prisons has 'deep reservations' about injuries to mentally ill inmate who died - The Journal.ie
13th February 2026
Irish Penal Reform Trust Executive Director Saoirse Brady has criticised delays and a lack of accountability following a the publication of a Death in Custody report into the death of Ivan Rosney at Cloverhill Prison in 2020. The article highlights serious concerns over the treatment of mentally ill prisoners in Ireland following the death of Ivan Rosney at Cloverhill Prison in 2020. It quotes the Irish Penal Reform Trust warning that delays in investigating and reporting the case have been “extensive” and describing the report as “distressing to read”, pointing to systemic failures both inside prisons and in community mental health services. IPRT calls on the Irish Prison Service to implement the Office of the Inspector of Prisons’ recommendations without delay, including reforms to restraint procedures, better involvement of healthcare staff, and upgrades to prison surveillance.
Concerns over restraint of patient who died at Cloverhill - RTE News
13th February 2026
In this article, IPRT criticised the delayed release of the Death in Custody report into Ivan Rosney’s death at Cloverhill Prison, which came only after an RTÉ documentary. IPRT highlighted that systemic failures in mental health and prison services contributed to his death and stressed that families should not have to wait years for answers. IPRT Executive Director Saoirse Brady called the report “distressing” and emphasised the urgent need for accountability and reform.
RTÉ Investigates: The Psychiatric Care Scandal
9th February 2026
IPRT's Executive Director, Saoirse Brady, contributed to Conor Ryan’s excellent RTE Investigates documentary shown over two nights on 9 and 10 February, which exposed the failures of Ireland’s mental health system. The programme highlights how people in urgent need of psychiatric care are often placed in prison cells rather than receiving hospital or community-based support.
Government Action Urged On Prison Conditions - Midlands 103 FM
19th January 2026
IPRT’s Legal and Public Affairs Manager, Niamh McCormack,speaking on the publication of prison inspection reports, highlighting poor prison conditions, ongoing overcrowding, and the urgent need to reduce reliance on remand detention.
