The Office of the Inspector of Prisons is a statutory, independent office established under the Prisons Act, 2007.
The key role assigned to the Inspector is to carry out regular inspections of the 14 prisons and places of detention in the State and to present a report on each institution visited as well as an annual report to the Minister for Justice.
These reports are published by the Minister and are an essential part of our penal reform agenda. Copies of all reports are available from the Prison Libraries or at the Office of the Inspector of Prisons website.
To carry out his functions the inspector may:
The Inspector of Prisons investigates the deaths of prisoners in custody.
Such independent investigations apply to prisoners who are in the custody of the Irish Prison Service, whether or not the death actually occurs within the prison walls and to prisoners who have recently been let out on temporary release.
The Inspector of Prisons has oversight of the Prisoner Complaints Procedure.
The office can be contacted by post, phone, fax or email: