ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the Irish prison service. The chapter begins by discussing the historical development of the Irish prison system. The chapter reflects on how prisons became our primary form of punishment, and that their recent growth was influenced by increased punitive and populist criminal justice policies. The chapter then describes the contemporary Irish prison system before exploring what life in prison is like for those incarcerated and their families. It concludes that Ireland's prisons seek to engage with rehabilitation, but remain centred on security and risk.
