Dr Aoife Watters

Research & Interests

Aoife has been involved in the oversight of prisons and places of detention, and undertaking research in prisons for over ten years. She has extensive experience of undertaking inspections of all prisons in Ireland in her roles with the Office of the Inspector of Prisons. Aoife's doctoral research was undertaken using qualitative methods and examined the operation of the disciplinary system in Irish prisons from legal and criminological perspectives. Her teaching interests lie primarily in the areas of the rights of marginalized and vulnerable groups in society, oversight and accountability in criminal justice, health and social care settings and professional regulation.  Combining her significant experience of inspecting prisons and places of detention with the areas that she teaches in, Aoife's interests have expanded to explore how human rights obligations are implemented in places where persons may be subject to the use of restraints and/ or places where people might be deprived of their liberty (other than prisons), such as residential settings for persons with disabilities and mental health settings.  The synergies across Aoife's experience and areas of interest are reflected in her role as a Committee Member of the All-Ireland Restraint Reduction Network (AAIRN), a recently established body that seeks to reform and influence policy and law relating to the use of restraints through the life-cycle, from crèches to nursing homes.