Irish Penal Reform Trust

Lobbying Organisation Irish Penal Reform Trust

Date published 20 May, 2022

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Justice and Equality

Period 1 Jan, 2022 to 30 Apr, 2022

Specific Details All Party Oireachtas Group on Penal Reform

Intended results To further the objectives of, and set priorities for, the All Party Oireachtas Group on Penal Reform. To raise concerns around the ongoing use of prison as a response to lower-level offending and the impact of COVID in prisons. To improve knowledge/ learnings around the operation and day-to-day issues arising within prison.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Molly Joyce, Legal & Public Affairs Manager

Did any Designated Public Official(DPO) or former Designated Public Official(DPO) carry out lobbying activities on your behalf in relation to this return? You must include yourself, and answer Yes, if you are a current DPO or a DPO at any time in the past. (What is a Designated Public Official?) No

Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign? No

Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client? No

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Meeting (1)

IPRT Legal and Public Affairs Manager and Executive Director met with co-chairs of the All Party Oireachtas Group on Penal Reform, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill and Deputy Ivana Bacik, on 2 February 2022 to discuss issues around impact of COVID in prisons, the continued overreliance on prison as a response to less serious offending, findings in the upcoming IPRT 'Progress in the Penal System' 2021 report, and the potential for a visit by IPRT and the co-chairs to prison.

Email (6-10)

Exchange of emails on range of key penal reform priorities including: impact of COVID restrictions on families visiting prisons; concerns about the Prison (Amendment) Rules 2020 and ongoing COVID restrictions within prisons; the continued non-ratification of OPCAT; and the issue of legal visits to prisons and impact of COVID on people's access to lawyers.

Informal communication (1)

IPRT Legal and Public Affairs Manager attended visit to Mountjoy Prison and Dóchas Centre with co-chairs of All Party Oireachtas Group on Penal Reform, during the course of which issues relating to women in prison, education in prison and drug treatment services etc were discussed. Some of these issues were also discussed with the Irish Prison Service Director of Care and Rehabilitation, Fergal Black.

Designated public officials lobbied

The following DPOs were lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area. These DPOs were involved in at least one of the Lobbying Activities listed above, but not necessarily all of them. As returns are specific to a Subject Matter Area the above Lobbying Activities may be associated with multiple returns.

Ivana Bacik TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Fergal Black Director of Services or Equivalent (Irish Prison Service)