Briefing Paper: A Visit from the Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) - Research in Midlands Prison, September 2019

The PRILA project’s Dr. Ciara O’Connell, Professor Mary Rogan, Sarah Curristan and Sophie van der Valk carried out the first real-time study of a visit from the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) to a prison in September 2019. The research, which combined observation, survey and interview methods, examined the experience of a visit from the CPT from the perspective of prison staff and people in an Irish prison. Findings reveal that prisoners and staff alike are hesitant to contribute positive impact to the CPT, but that despite this, both groups value the accountability that CPT oversight affords. Interestingly, this study brought into perspective the experience of in-prison engagement with oversight bodies, highlighting the need to improve prisoner awareness of oversight, transparency of oversight methods and post-visit engagement with the prison.

To share the findings with prisoners and prison staff, a briefing paper entitled ‘A Visit from the Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) - Research in Midlands Prison, September 2019’ was shared with the case study prison in November 2020. The paper was developed with assistance from the Prisoner Support Network. An explanatory video was also provided to the prison where it will be shared with people in prison via the in-cell tv channel. Additionally, the findings were shared with the Minister of Justice, the Inspector of Prisons and the Irish Prison Service by way of a presentation at the Launch of the Framework for the Inspection of Prisons in Ireland. This study will also be presented at PRILA’s forthcoming conference on 26 November 2020. You can register for this event here.

The PRILA team would like to thank all the participants who made this research possible, including people in prison and prison staff, as well as people and organisations who reviewed our research instruments. We also express our gratitude to the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), the Irish Prison Service and the Department of Justice and Equality for permitting research access.

Download the Briefing Paper

If you would like to get in touch please email ciara.oconnell@tcd.ie.