Prison Visiting Committees comprise individuals from across society who visit prisons to which they are appointed and hear any complaints made to them by people in prison. They are tasked with looking at the quality of the prison accommodation and the facilities and services available to the people confined there. Each committee gives the Minister a report every year on their findings. Though varying in quality and depth, these are published on the Department of Justice‘s website. Appointments to Prison Visiting Committees are made by the Minister for Justice. Each appointment to a visiting committee is for a period of three years.
Dr Garrihy was invited to speak on his diverse research activities across Irish prisons while focusing on two specific projects. Firstly, the examination of the experience of ‘cocooning’ in Irish prisons during the COVID-19 restrictions in collaboration with the then Chief Inspector of Prison and Dr Marder (Maynooth University) (peer-reviewed paper in The European Journal of Criminology.
Secondly, two distinct studies exploring access to rights and justice for migrants and ethnic minorities in the Irish penal system (with Dr Doyle, Dr Brandon, Dr Adanan, [all MU] and Prof Bracken (University of Manitoba and the Irish Penal Reform Trust) (report) and the experiences of Foreign National People in Prison with Dr Doyle and the Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas (report forthcoming, first peer-reviewed paper in the Journal of Human Rights Practice).
Dr Garrihy’s recent submission and appearance before the Oireachtas Committee on Justice regarding the scrutiny of the Draft General Scheme of the Inspection of Places of Detention Bill was discussed with specific attention to the role of prison oversight and the future reform of Prison Visiting Committees.
Dr. Joe Garrihy is an Assistant Professor in Criminology at the School of Law and Criminology, Maynooth University.Joe lectures courses on penology and comparative penal policies as well as introductory criminology and criminal justice courses.
