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Dr. Róisín Mulgrew has published a chapter on Deaths and Deaths in European Prisons in the Routledge Handbook of European Penology.

Co-edited by Sonja Snacken, Gaëtan Cliquennois, Ioan Durnescu, Diete Humblet and Elena Larrauri, this book focuses on the multi-disciplinary scientific study of punishment in Europe, and provides an overview of the current state of the art and cutting-edge research, and reflects on whether there is anything distinctive European about the ways penology is applied in Europe.

Dr. Mulgrew’s chapter examines prisoner death prevention in Europe through the lens of the reform-oriented dialogue between the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) and member states. Based on a review of CPT country visit reports and government responses from 1990 to 2022, the chapter analyses facility level and systemic barriers to implementing effective prevention policies and practices in relation to two leading causes of prisoner deaths – suicide and inter-prisoner violence. In addition, two national case-studies (UK and Greece) are used to illustrate the challenges of initiating and achieving reform in prison systems facing crises, despite continuous engagement from oversight bodies. While external, independent oversight can provide opportunities for improvement, deeper structural, political and financial obstacles may impede progress. Ultimately, prisoner death prevention requires a comprehensive approach. The dialogue between the CPT and states demonstrates the importance of the appropriate use of custodial penalties, the need for multi-sectoral cooperation and adequate funding to support systemic reform.