Maynooth Professor Calls For Alternatives To Prison For Pregnant Women Amid Record Numbers

Monday, 30 December 2024 11:28

By Martin Osborne

Dr. Lynsey Black from Maynooth University said the conditions pregnant women find themselves in are far from ideal.

Alternatives to prison should be considered for pregnant women, according to a Maynooth Professor.

Her comments follow reports that the Irish Prison Service (IPS) is facing record numbers of pregnant women in custody, with 29 cases reported this year, including four who gave birth while serving a prison sentence.

Of these, 24 were held in the Dóchas Centre at Mountjoy Prison, and five in Limerick Prison.

Since 2017, 152 women have been imprisoned while pregnant.

Dr. Lynsey Black from Maynooth University said the conditions pregnant women find themselves in are far from ideal.

Speaking to the Sunday Times, she said: "They're in their room for the night with the baby. It's a problem that's a direct consequence of the overcrowding and complete lack of space. Being locked back into your room at night with your newborn and not being able to leave is not ideal. It's an ongoing issue that the IPS are not directly in control of because they're accepting increasing numbers of women from the court."

She added: "Best practice should be that a woman who is pregnant should only be going into prison in the most compelling circumstances where there is no alternative."

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