COVID-19 has not been hindered by national borders. It is naïve to presume that walls will hinder its spread. Wherever people are found, this virus can flourish. In response to the risks posed to prisoners and prison staff, the Irish Prison Service has published an outline of how it is elevating its level of… Read more »

  Despite 2019’s “green wave”, just a small percentage of the electorate says the environment is their top priority when choosing who to vote for in next month’s general election. To see it as disconnected from the other electoral issues is an error, says Kevin Hargaden.

Prison reform is not a topic that is high on the election agenda. However, the inhumane conditions of our prisons and the number of prisoners who come from backgrounds characterised by poverty and trauma should concern us as members of a modern, progressive society.

Last week, a homeless, brain-damaged man was revealed to have been on indefinite remand for over a year within the high dependency unit in Mountjoy prison. He was deemed unsuitable to stand trial. Yet, due to the cancellation of a care-plan by the HSE for “resource” issues, he was to remain imprisoned as he was… Read more »

Eoin Carroll reviews the past year in prison news, in which the JCFJ discussed the needs of young adults in prison, prisoners sleeping on cell floors, and the reliability of prison statistics. To mark Prisoners’ Sunday, we also analysed the increasing numbers on extended lock-up (19-23hrs), the Oireachtas Justice Committee’s report on penal reform, the… Read more »

Eoin Carroll reviews the past year in prison news, in which the JCFJ discussed the needs of young adults in prison, prisoners sleeping on cell floors, and the reliability of prison statistics. To mark Prisoners’ Sunday, we also analysed the increasing numbers on extended lock-up (19-23hrs), the Oireachtas Justice Committee’s report on penal reform, the… Read more »

The Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice is calling on the Minister for Justice to conduct an immediate investigation into why so many people in prison are sleeping on mattresses when the system is operating at less than 94% capacity.

Matt Cuff is the senior policy advisor of the of the Office of Justice and Ecology (OJE) of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. He visited Ireland recently and spent time in the Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice (JCFJ), exchanging ideas and collaborating with our Deputy Director, Eoin Carroll. They aim… Read more »

The Ignatian Examen is a five-part spiritual exercise which Jesuits do twice daily. It also offers benefits to others, including prisoners. Claire Hargaden reflects on the practice.

Prisoners’ Sunday is an opportunity to pause, reflect and pray for the men, women and children in prison and detention. The following short reflection by Eoin Carroll touches upon some key moments in the prison landscape over the past year.