Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 31 May 2022
556. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice if she will order an annual publication of a measuring the quality of life in prison, similar to research carried out by the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, either by the Inspector of Prisons or an academic institution or NGO; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27257/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will appreciate, oversight and evaluation are important elements in developing and improving our penal system.
Independent prison monitoring is an essential part of accountability for any modern prison system. The European Prison Rules stipulate that the conditions of detention and treatment of prisoners are monitored by an independent body or bodies whose findings are made public. While there are no plans at present to undertake research of the specific type referred to by the Deputy, I can advise that a number of independent bodies have responsibility for oversight of our prisons, including the Office of the Inspector of Prisons and the Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT).
In particular, the Office of the Inspector of Prisons is a statutory body, independent in how it carries out its work, set up under the Prisons Act 2007. The Inspector's key role is to carry out regular inspections of prisons and the Inspector plays a vital role in ensuring effective independent oversight of our prison system.
The Annual Report of the Office of the Inspector of Prisons provided a comprehensive overview of prisons in Ireland, which included a synopsis of, amongst other areas, healthcare, restricted regimes, quality initiatives, purposeful activities and operational challenges in each prison.
An Inspection Framework for the Inspection of Prisons in Ireland was developed and launched on 15 September 2020. The Framework sets out how the Inspector will conduct inspections of prisons in Ireland. It is informed by the statutory underpinning of the Inspector in legislation, national legislation relating to prisons and prisoners’ rights, and international obligations owing to prisoners. Under this Framework, the Inspector will engage with and survey both prisoners and prison staff to gather information on prison conditions and prisoner welfare (as the Deputy will be aware, the Inspector suspended the 2021 general inspection programme and embarked on a COVID focused inspection schedule, the reports of which have all been published and can be found on the websites of the Inspector of Prisons and my Department).
