Invitation to Tender: Rethinking Remand - Exploring current pre-trial detention practices and examining potential alternatives that protect individuals’ rights and reduce unnecessary detention

24th June 2025

About IPRT

The Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) is Ireland’s leading independent charity campaigning for a penal system that is just and humane, protects and promotes human rights, equality and social justice and uses prison as a last resort. Our work is underscored by the recognition that prison is inherently damaging in itself and impacts disproportionately on marginalised and disadvantaged groups. Our goal therefore is to shift the focus of Ireland’s penal system away from its current emphasis on punishment towards approaches based on prevention, early intervention, diversion, and the integration of criminal justice policy with wider social policy.

Context

The prison population has reached an all-time high, with over 5000 people in custody since June 2024. Irish Prison Service official statistics indicate that approximately one in five people are currently awaiting trial or sentencing. While pre-trial detention figures are published daily, information is not readily available on the reasons why people are remanded to prison rather than receiving bail. Overuse of pretrial detention can undermine a person's presumption of innocence and have a severe psychological impact on them. Pre-trial detention – particularly for people who are not found guilty, or who do not receive a custodial sentence – is a traumatic experience that can have untold consequences for their family relationships, employment or accommodation prospects and their overall wellbeing, all important factors to prevent reoffending.

Aims of the research

By examining and reforming remand practices in Ireland, the project seeks to address systemic inequalities within the justice system, particularly the disproportionate impact of pre-trial detention on marginalised individuals. People experiencing poverty, early school leavers and people with addiction, mental health issues or disabilities and migrant and ethnic minority communities continue to be overrepresented in the criminal justice system. IPRT’s work starts where the work of other social justice advocates ends as the penal system is often left to respond to failures of other social, educational, and health services.

The three main objectives are:

1. To conduct a comprehensive analysis of current remand practices in Ireland, identifying key issues, disparities, and their impact on individuals and the justice system and assess Ireland’s compliance with human rights standards relating to pre-trial detention.
2. To develop evidence-based recommendations for policy and legislative reforms that minimise the use of remand, promote alternative measures, and protect the rights of individuals awaiting trial.
3. To raise awareness and engage stakeholders, including policymakers, legal professionals, and the public, in a dialogue about the need for remand reform, fostering support for actionable changes in the justice system.

The overarching ambition for the project is to determine the frequency of people being held unnecessarily in pre-trial detention and subsequently influence a reduction in this number if it is found to be the case.

Tender outline

IPRT is seeking to commission an expert researcher to conduct research to explore the current practices in the bail process in the context of high rates of people in remand custody, with a view to making recommendations for reform in the area. Our research proposal envisages the following activities:

• Conduct desk-based research including a literature review and review existing IPRT research around pre-trial detention, including an IPRT 2016 report on pre-trial detention and Progress in the Penal System reports to audit current available information and progress on previous findings and recommendations.
• Stakeholder mapping to identify relevant audiences and key stakeholders. And engagement with those key stakeholders in the legal, policy and legislative spheres to inform them of the scope and purpose of the research.
• Consultations with relevant stakeholders including the legal community and people with lived experience of the criminal justice system will be completed.
• Attend conferences/ seminars/ training sessions as required.
• Conduct scoping exercise to determine best practice examples and meet with international counterparts and experts.
• Attend sittings of the District and High Court bail lists as necessary to observe proceedings and decisions of the courts. 

We are open to considering adapted models of delivery within the budget and time constraints of the project, subject to alignment with the project deliverables.

Project Deliverables

The successful tenderer is expected to produce a report and provide evidence-based, informed recommendations that will be used as an advocacy tool to inform policy and practice in the area of bail and the criminal justice system.

IPRT will host a high-level event to launch findings and recommendations.

Requirements

• Postgraduate degree(s) in a relevant discipline (for example law, criminology);
• Proven experience of designing and carrying out research projects;
• Experience in qualitative and quantitative research methods, including undertaking desk-based research, conducting interviews , designing and conducting surveys, and data analysis;
• Established understanding of how systemic inequalities, especially class-based, contribute to criminal justice involvement and demonstrated experience working with or within marginalised communities is desirable in addition to an understanding of social justice, poverty and criminal justice issues;
• Dedication to the principles and objectives of the work of IPRT;
• Experience in producing high-quality, publishable documents to agreed deadlines, within strict wordcounts and in an accessible way; and
• First-rate drafting abilities, exceptional writing skills, attention to detail, and ability to adhere to budgetary requirements.

Tender Process

Tendering individuals or organisations must submit a tender document of no more than four pages. Each tender should include:

• A profile or CV of the individual(s) making the proposal;
• Details of previous relevant work in this area;
• Two samples of written work (these may be URLs to work published online) preferably including examples of previous work relevant to criminal justice and penal policy;
• The methodology you propose to adopt in order to achieve the key deliverables;
• Costing and timeline with respect to the proposed work expressed within the overall budget for research of €15,000 (inclusive of VAT if applicable) with a breakdown including daily rate and associated costs of research;
• A comprehensive risk assessment with mitigating actions; and
• Estimated number of days anticipated to complete the work.

Criteria for Assessment of Tender

Note:

• Valid tax clearance certificates will be sought from the successful tender.
• Additional information may be sought at the assessment phase.
• Before the final decision, a number of the most competitive tenders may be invited for further discussions on their proposals for elaboration, clarification, and/or aiding mutual understanding.
• IPRT shall not be liable for any costs and/or expenses incurred in respect of the preparation or the submission of any tender documents or associated material.

The lowest price tender is not a guarantee of success.

How to apply

Tenders should be submitted by email to tenders@iprt.ie by 12 noon on Monday 21 July 2025  at the latest. Queries should be directed to Niamh McCormack, Legal, Policy and Public Affairs Manager at nmccormack@iprt.ie

*Please note that tenders will not be accepted at this email.*

We would like to acknowledge the support of Community Foundation Ireland for this important research.