Irish Penal Reform Trust

Lobbying Organisation Irish Penal Reform Trust

Date published 17 May, 2017

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Justice and Equality

Period 1 Jan, 2017 to 30 Apr, 2017

Specific Details Open Prison provision in Ireland and the proposed closure of the Training Unit

Intended results Clarify impact on prisoners affected with goal of reversing the decision and/or ensuring access to equivalent regimes in other prisons Demonstrate that the decision runs contrary to previous policy commitments

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Fíona Ní Chinnéide

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.

Letter (6-10)

Letters sent to Director General of Irish Prison Service (13 March, 13 April); Mountjoy Campus Governor (13 March, 31 March); Director of Care and Rehabilitation (4 April); An Tánaiste (18 April); and DJE Strategic Review of Penal Policy Implementation Oversight Group (18 April) outlining: - IPRT's serious concerns at proposed closure of the Training Unit - the negative impacts on prisoners currently detained - requesting information on how regimes will be maintained for prisoners transferred to closed prisons - identifying policy contradiction of reducing open prison provision in Ireland - requesting investment in the Training Unit so that it can remain open until alternative semi-open facilities are made available in the Dublin region - requesting additional measures and investment in Mountjoy West to better facilitate 'normalisation' regimes - and requesting more information on future plans

Meeting (1)

Meeting with Mountjoy Campus management and Director of Care & Rehabilitation (29 March 2017) to outline IPRT's serious concerns, seek more information, and request specific measures for prisoners affected towards maintaining equivalent semi-open regime and ensuring prisoner safety on transfer to other prisons.

Email (1)

Information to Senator Ivana Bacik (29 March) detailing IPRT's key concerns in relation to the closure of the Training Unit, and emphasising the negative impacts on prisoner rehabilitation.

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.

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

Michael Donnellan Director General (Department of Justice and Equality)

Frances Fitzgerald Tánaiste and Minister (Department of Justice and Equality)

Ivana Bacik Senator (Seanad)