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Sunday 26 March 2023 Dublin: 7°C

# Prisons

This month
March 2023
Voices
Opinion: The Inspection of Places of Detention Bill promises reforms but doesn't go far enough
Dr Ian Marder and Dr Joe Garrihy look at the new prisons and detention bill and assess its potential impact on prison oversight.
7.6k
3
Mar 18th 2023, 8:00 PM
Last year
2022
# Penal Reform
Judges to be able to set minimum life sentences as changes to Ireland's penal system announced
The plan is to keep non-violent offenders out of prison to reduce overcrowding.
13.7k
27
Aug 31st 2022, 12:51 PM
# sexual violence
Irish Prison Service to launch major review of how psychologists deal with sex offenders
The Irish Prison Service has said that the work of its psychologists would be expanded to deal with people serving sentences for sexual violence.
30.5k
15
May 20th 2022, 12:05 AM
# Prisons
Report finds minority groups in Irish prisons can face 'aggression and name calling' from staff
The Irish Penal Reform Trust has recommended mandatory anti-racism training that is embedded in prison practices.
8.7k
0
Updated
Apr 27th 2022, 9:00 AM
All time
# Covid-19
Prison service facing 'unprecedented challenge' as it manages three Covid-19 outbreaks
There are at least 63 confirmed cases of Covid-19 among inmates.
10.4k
9
Nov 18th 2021, 11:25 AM
# Isolation
Some prisoners had no access to a shower for 14 days while quarantining
The Irish Prison Service has “poor adherence” with laws on handling prisoner complaints, report finds.
25.7k
61
Jun 11th 2021, 10:41 PM
# Covid-19
Prison officers defend withdrawal of 'goodwill' duties over concerns about when they'll be vaccinated
Officers say they have received no response from the government about the issue since December.
16.7k
21
Apr 19th 2021, 9:40 AM
# Prisons
Report details case of mentally ill inmate found lying naked on floor of cell
The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture has published a report on Irish prisons today.
37.7k
25
Updated
Nov 24th 2020, 4:30 PM
# Prisoners
51 inmates in Irish prisons still 'slopping out' despite government pledge to end practice by this year
The total figure is a decrease from 465 people in January 2014.
27.2k
36
Aug 21st 2020, 6:15 AM
# Irish Prison Service
Visiting restrictions relaxed further for prisoners - except at Portlaoise and Midlands prisons
Limits on visiting were introduced at the start of the Covid-19 crisis.
11.7k
6
Aug 17th 2020, 3:46 PM
# new report
Number of people jailed for not paying court-ordered fines almost doubled in 2019
The Irish Prison Service annual report 2019 was published today.
12.6k
25
Jun 15th 2020, 12:05 PM
# covid-19 measures
Prison Service now has temperature checks at the entrances to all prisons
“Difficulties do exist in implementing social distancing on the basis that over 52% of prisoners share cells,” a prison spokesperson said.
14.6k
16
Mar 31st 2020, 7:24 PM
# Coronavirus
Public transport services to be reduced from next week
Visits to prisons will end from tomorrow, the government has also announced.
72.4k
47
Updated
Mar 27th 2020, 1:45 PM
# Irish Prison Service
Coronavirus: Talks underway to reduce number of people in prison in a 'controlled manner'
Concerns had already been raised about how the Irish Prison Service would cope with Covid-19.
49.1k
103
Mar 13th 2020, 9:07 PM
# Coronavirus
Six prisoners in Italy die from methadone overdoses during protest over Covid-19 measures
Family visits were restricted to prevent transmission in prisons, causing increased tensions.
41.5k
30
Mar 9th 2020, 2:48 PM
# Coronavirus
'They don’t even have the capacity to keep everyone in single cells': Concerns over potential Covid-19 spread in prisons
The Irish Penal Reform Trust has said that overcrowded prisons make it harder to control the spread of the viruses.
29.5k
49
Mar 5th 2020, 6:30 AM
# Irish Prison Service
Evidence to suggest tracking device was placed on private car of prison officer, report finds
The report was carried out by the Inspector of Prisons.
15.3k
4
Jul 25th 2019, 5:39 PM
# supermax
El Chapo expected to go to 'prison of prisons' described as 'high-tech version of hell'
The facility in Colorado houses some of the United States’ most notorious criminals.
58.9k
41
Feb 13th 2019, 8:19 AM
# three thousand nights
Over 3,400 cases of prisoners sleeping on mattresses on floors in past three months
Minister Charlie Flanagan said his officials are always working to try to reduce overcrowding.
17.0k
61
Feb 12th 2019, 6:10 AM
# violent attacks
'Things are not getting better': Prison officers say they're attacked a lot more than official stats say
Jim Mitchell, from the Prison Officers’ Association. has said the official figures “don’t reflect” the situation on the ground.
6.4k
27
Apr 19th 2018, 8:41 AM
# Contraband
Volume of drug seizures in Irish prisons soars by 42%, as over 1,000 recorded last year
557 weapons were also seized in Irish prisons last year.
7.2k
18
Feb 26th 2018, 9:18 AM
# Contraband
An average of 12 phones are seized in Irish prisons every week
The figure is up on last year, but way down on 2008 when about 42-a -week were seized.
9.6k
48
Aug 31st 2017, 10:01 AM
# blades
Prison officers seized two weapons a day over the last five years
Last year alone, 435 weapons were recovered from inmates.
7.0k
9
Aug 17th 2017, 7:05 AM
# emptied out
Falling crime rates mean Netherlands' prisons are being used to house asylum seekers
They are also being turned into business hubs.
15.3k
42
Jul 16th 2017, 11:00 AM
# a fine thing
Large drop in number of people being jailed for non-payment of fines
New legislation enacted last year is being heralded as the reason for the reduction in committals.
12.7k
36
May 15th 2017, 12:48 PM
# Life on the Inside
'A prisoner will say to you: I know where you live, I’ll burn your house down, I’ll get your kids.’
Prison officers outlined the dangers they face in their day-to-day jobs.
19.9k
30
Apr 28th 2017, 6:01 AM
# jailhouse dosh
Irish prisons paid €3 million in 'pocket money' to inmates last year
The Irish Prison Service has paid out over €27 million in pocket money to prisoners since 2009.
16.2k
50
Jan 23rd 2017, 7:33 AM
# Riot
26 dead as gangs behead inmates in Brazilian prison massacre
Officials said members of two drug gangs clashed violently after coming out of different parts of the prison.
22.3k
14
Jan 16th 2017, 10:45 AM
# Prisons
Significant staff shortage at Cloverhill Prison as 36 people call in sick
Approximately 200 staff are supposed to work at the prison each day.
15.1k
79
Dec 16th 2016, 7:30 PM
# On the Line
525 phones confiscated from Irish prisons so far this year
Prisoners found in possession of a mobile phone could be prosecuted.
7.6k
27
Dec 7th 2016, 8:40 AM
# Inspector of Prisons
Tánaiste leads tributes following death of Judge Michael Reilly
The Inspector of Prisons died earlier today.
17.1k
6
Nov 26th 2016, 4:08 PM
Voices
Opinion: 'Prison does not cure prisoners. They do not effectively punish crime'
It is common knowledge that deaths from suicide and drug overdoses are common in Irish prisons, writes researcher Stephen Strauss-Walsh.
8.3k
95
Oct 16th 2016, 8:30 PM
# obama clementia
Obama makes history by pardoning the sentences of 214 prisoners
US president has now commuted 562 sentences, more than the previous nine presidents combined.
40.4k
80
Aug 3rd 2016, 9:45 PM
# Prison
Three convicted murderers were out on temporary release last week
In total, 10% of the prison population was out last Wednesday.
18.1k
31
Jul 26th 2016, 6:03 AM
# decriminalisation
The 'War On Drugs' is driving a global epidemic of HIV, TB and hepatitis
Major new study says jails hothouse infectious diseases, which are then passed on to the wider community.
14.4k
28
Jul 15th 2016, 6:15 AM
# on the outside
Irish prisons need to have a better plan for released inmates
A new prisons report is concerned with homelessness and re-offending among new releases.
10.1k
33
Jun 24th 2016, 11:27 PM
# Lockup
Over 100 young Irish adults spend 23 hours a day in a cell like this
Young adults are overrepresented in the prison population.
15.7k
62
May 31st 2016, 2:40 PM
# gangland bloodshed
'Gangs in prison are controlling the streets on the outside'
The Prison Officers Association is calling for power to be removed from gangs in prison.
17.5k
29
Apr 28th 2016, 6:10 AM
# off you go so
Irish prisons ran out of overtime cash in 1984 - so they started letting prisoners go early
The process was known as ‘shedding’.
10.0k
8
Dec 31st 2015, 6:00 PM
# Computer Glitch
Whoops: Over 3,000 US prisoners mistakenly freed early
“Frankly, it is maddening,” the governor of Washington state said.
12.2k
6
Dec 24th 2015, 2:27 PM
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