The first comprehensive investigation of the specific needs and perspectives of Foreign National Prisoners (FNPs) in the Irish Prison System is presented in a research report released today.
Dr Joe Garrihy, of Maynooth University's School of Law and Criminology, stated that “the objective of our socio-legal research study was to investigate issues and challenges experienced by FNPs in Irish prisons and evaluate the need for a dedicated service which could provide supports similar to those provided by the Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas (ICPO) to Irish people in prison abroad.”
The research found that FNPs experience additional challenges beyond those experienced by all prisoners. Language barriers, isolation, and the ad hoc provision of services and information, were the common experience of most of those interviewed. The inability to communicate with staff and their peers negatively impacts almost all aspects of prison life including basic interactions, understanding prison rules and their rights.
The study was conducted by Maynooth University School of Law and Criminology researchers in collaboration with the Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas (ICPO) and was funded by the Irish Research Council and Maynooth University.
The analysis by Dr David Doyle, Dr Joe Garrihy, Muiread Murphy and Maria Cleary draws on interviews conducted with 82 prisoners - 69 male and 13 female - in eight Irish prisons over a 12-month period between late 2021 and 2022.
Drawing on promising practices from prisons in other jurisdictions, the report makes seven feasible and practical recommendations that would go some way towards the Irish state meeting the obligations imposed by domestic, European and International law while addressing the specific issues raised by FNPs based on their lived experiences.
The report recommends that the Irish Prison Service (IPS) should:
- Develop a dedicated support service similar to those provided by the ICPO;
- Establish a Foreign National Liaison Officer;
- Support FNP families to maintain relationships, facilitate visiting schemes, and formalising peer support schemes;
- Ensure the consistent and systematic provision of language classes and resources with professional interpretation for legal consultations.
These recommendations would also, if implemented, simultaneously enhance the social and moral climate of the prison system (Auty and Liebling 2020). This is integral to the fulfilment of the IPS mission statement of providing “safe and secure custody, dignity of care and rehabilitation to prisoners for safer communities” (Irish Prison Service 2019: 7).
The participants in this study came from 22 different countries and the age range of the interviewees varied from 22 to 61 years. These perspectives were supplemented by expert interviews and comparative literature highlighting some “promising practice” (Slade 2015) with respect to the treatment of FNPs in other jurisdictions.
The report is available here:
Foreign National Prisoners (FNPs) in the Irish Prison System - Evaluating The Need for A Dedicated Service
About the Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas
The Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas (ICPO) is a charitable organisation, which was established by the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference in 1985. The ICPO provides advice, information and support to Irish people in prison overseas and their families. We currently assist approximately 1,100 Irish people in prison in over 30 countries worldwide, the majority of whom are in England and Wales.
