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.
Reactions: Inspector of Prisons' Annual Report for 2013-14
10th October 2014
Media coverage of issues and concerns raised by Inspector of Prisons in his Annual Report for 2013-2014, published yesterday by the Minister for Justice & Equality.
Roundup: International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
15th July 2014
This week, Fourth Periodic Examination of Ireland by the UN Human Rights Committee of the ICCPR discussed Ireland’s human rights record in relation to prisoners.
Roundup: IPRT Report on Travellers in the Irish prison system
19th May 2014
IPRT launched a new report Travellers in the Irish Prison System: A qualitative Study on 19th May 2014.
Report on the Death of Gary Douch
1st May 2014
IPRT statements & other media reactions to the publishing of the report, 7 years and 9 months after his death in Mountjoy Prison.
Irish Examiner: Principle at stake in prison tapes revelations is 'legal privilege'
5th April 2014
Writing in the 'Irish Examiner', IPRT Executive Director Deirdre Malone underlines the importance of the protection of communication between lawyer and client from disclosure.
Reactions: Taping of conversations between prisoners and solicitors
1st April 2014
Today Taoiseach Enda Kenny revealed to the Dáil that phone calls between prisoners and their solicitors were 'inadvertently recorded' by the Irish Prison Service. Press Rel
Irish Examiner, 'Cork Prison hit by 'perfect storm' of bad conditions'
4th January 2014
The Irish Examiner's Cormac O'Keefe interviews IPRT Executive Director Liam Herrick about the factors contributing to the conditions at Cork Prison.
TheJournal.ie, 'Number of prisoners sharing cells in Irish jails is ‘worrying’'
31st December 2013
TheJournal.ie reports on the high level of sharing of cells in the Irish Prison System as demonstrated by the Irish Prison Service's October 2013 'Census of Prison Cell Occupancy and In-cell Sanitation'. TheJournal.ie also discusses the issue with IPRT Executive Director Liam Herrick.
Irish Times, 'Prison Population in 1983 was a third of today's'
27th December 2013
Stephen Collins writes about a Department of Justice memo on prison population from 1983, released this month under the '30-year rule'.
Overcrowding in the Dóchas Centre
21st November 2013
IPRT's Liam Herrick spoke to RTÉ Morning Ireland about the issue of temporary release and overcrowding at the Dóchas Centre women's prison.
