An Irish Prison Inspectorate should be established along with the new Prison Authority, according to the Irish Commission for Justice and Peace.
Bishop Larry Ryan, president of the ICJP, a commission of the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference, has pointed out that changes in the prison system will require revising the existing prison legislation, which dates from 1877.
The Prison Rules, which have been the subject of critical comments by the courts were 50 years old and were being updated, he said. "These and other developments highlight the need for an independent prison inspection system as an essential part of a comprehensive modern system of human rights safeguards in our prisons."
"An inspection system with teeth should be put in place on an independent statutory basis at the same time as the new prisons agency is set up, if not before."
A study of the subject by the ICJP, "Towards an Irish Prison Inspectorate", was released on Thursday, and points out that the prison standards recommended by the Council of Europe and the UN recommend such a body.
It also says that, with the setting up of the new Prisons Authority, the line of political responsibility for prisons and prisoners will be less direct than at present.
Unlike many other European countries, the Ombudsman in this State cannot deal with prison administration or complaints from prisoners.
An inspectorate would be an especially important safeguard for vulnerable categories of detainees such as young people, foreigners and the mentally disturbed, it says.