Pope Francis’ visit to Ireland is a cause of excitement to many and dismay to others. Beneath the flurry of events associated with the World Meeting of Families and the simmering controversy around protests, his visit is an opportunity to reflect on one of the major emphases of his papacy, says Kevin Hargaden.

Eoin Carroll’s article in the Irish Times looks back to the arrival of John Paul II in 1979, when 76 prisoners were granted early release, and questions why there is no mention of an amnesty to coincide with the visit of Pope Francis.

The theme of International Youth Day 2018 is Safe Spaces for Youth, something that resonates strongly with the work in prison and penal reform that the Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice is involved in. The centre has long been an advocate for changes in the prison system for young adults, whom we view as… Read more »

Minister for Children Katherine Zappone has decided not to publish the report into the 2016 review of Oberstown detention centre, which included a contribution from the Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice.

A motion on the ‘Report on Penal Reform and Sentencing’ of the Joint Committee on Justice and Equality, came before the Dáil to be debated on Thursday, 28 Jun 2018. The JCFJ was one of the stakeholder groups that made a contribution to the report and we eagerly await its progession.  

It’s a fool’s game to try to play the soothsayer, but it may be reasonable to suggest that the most important economic landmark of 2018 was (for those with “eyes to see”) that we are once again back in bubble-land, says Kevin Hargaden. At the JCFJ we dedicated an issue of Working Notes to thinking about… Read more »

Stanley Hauerwas is arguably the most influential moral theologian of the last generation. On Saturday 30th June, he appears at an event in All Hallow’s Campus, DCU with fellow theologian Brian Brock to discuss the book ‘Beginnings: Interrogating Hauerwas’ which is edited by the JCFJ’s Kevin Hargaden.    

The Irish Prison Service and the Minister for Justice and Equality must stop ignoring chronic problems in our prisons including overcrowding, extended lock-up and a lack of provision for young adults, says the JCFJ, in response to today’s [25 June 2018] launch of the Irish Prison Service’s Annual Report for 2017.  

Working Notes has a brand new look! In Issue 82, we look back on the ten years since the crash.

The Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice (JCFJ) is inviting applications for the position of Policy and Research Intern. The ideal candidate will have a passion for social justice issues, e.g. the rights and needs of people in prison, a desire to solve homelessness or stop climate change, be a self-starter and have excellent organisational skills.