Latest news with #CPT
Irish Examiner
12 hours ago
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Prisons turned into 'human warehouses' by chronic overcrowding — Council of Europe inspectors
Chronic overcrowding is 'plaguing the entire prison estate', with up to four inmates, including people with mental illnesses, crammed into single cells, an international body has said. Council of Europe inspectors who visited Irish prisons in 2024 said overcrowding can turn a jail into a 'human warehouse'. The overcrowding crisis has worsened significantly since their inspection, with the prison system now 119% over capacity, compared to 111% in May 2024. The Council of Europe Committee on the Prevention of Torture (CPT), which inspects every five years, also raised other serious issues: Locking prisoners up for 22 or even 23 hours a day, without activities, may amount to 'inhuman and degrading treatment'; Worsening safety in prisons, affecting both inmates and staff, with 'pervasive' violence between prisoners and bullying; Allegations of prisoner abuse by staff has 'increased', with incidents of significant injuries, including one case where an inmate suffered a 'severe wound' to his head, causing brain injuries, which the CPT said may 'amount to torture'; The problem of homeless people charged and remanded in custody because they could not be granted bail as the HSE would not accept them 'has not changed' since the CPT highlighted it in their 2019 inspection; Housing severely mentally-ill prisoners on certain prison wings with more restricted regimes, in addition to a lack of therapeutic care, is "unacceptable" and could amount to 'inhuman and degrading treatment'; Despite the establishment of the new Central Mental Hospital in Portrane and the "welcome" increase in beds, prisoners with severe mental illnesses assessed as needing transfer continue to face 'lengthy waits' during which their condition deteriorates Inspectors visited seven Irish facilities The CPT team visited five prisons: Castlerea, Cloverhill, Limerick (male and female), Mountjoy Female Prison (the Dóchas centre) and Mountjoy (Male) Prison High Support Unit. It also inspected the Central Mental Hospital, Oberstown Children Detention Campus, and Ballydowd Special Care Unit in West Dublin. All the visits took place between May 21 to 31 last year, during which time the team also spoke with ministers, senior civil servants, prison bosses, health officials, garda management, and various inspectors, as well as penal and mental health reform groups. Inspectors note some progress The CPT did stress that 'meaningful progress' had been made by the Irish Prison Service since its 2019 visit. It noted: Improvement in the infrastructure for female prisoners; The reduced use of restricted regimes of prisoners for security reasons; An expansion in temporary release; The prison service 'almost entirely eradicating' slopping out — where prisoners use a bucket for a toilet. But some problems remain 'entrenched' 'However, several entrenched issues of concern remain: pervasive overcrowding, worsening safety in men's prisons, inadequate mental healthcare, poor treatment of prisoners held on protection regimes, and gaps in legal protections for some of the most vulnerable persons including mentally ill prisoners and young people in detention,' the report said. It said inter-prisoner violence 'remains widespread' with drug-related conflict and contraband smuggling driving 'much of the violence'. It said some inmates had died trying to smuggle drugs into prison and contended that some of these deaths could have been prevented if lessons had been learned from previous incidents. Inmates in 'cramped, squalid spaces' The report said that in all prisons visited, the CPT observed overcrowded cells where three or four prisoners were 'held in cramped, squalid spaces with insufficient ventilation' and sharing a toilet. It said: Many prisoners, including mentally ill individuals, were forced to sleep on mattresses or flimsy camp beds. It called for 'urgent measures' to ensure prisoners do not sleep on a mattress on the floor. Issues at Cloverhill and Dóchas centre 'Vulnerable prisoners should never have to sleep on a mattress on the floor,' it said, adding there was a particular issue in Cloverhill Remand Prison for severely mentally-ill prisoners and an issue affecting 'pregnant women' in Dóchas. In one case, two mentally-ill female prisoners were housed in a 'dark, sombre' cell in Dóchas and one of the women 'had not had access to a shower for four days'. On raising this issue, prison bosses addressed the problem. The report also highlighted immediately with prison authorities the situation of a female transgender inmate on protection in Limerick male Prison's D1 Unit, who was living in 'squalid conditions', with minimal access to natural light and ventilation and held in 23-hour lock-up. Community-based sentencing The CPT recommended greater use of community-based sentencing, adding that it did not think judges were using alternative sanctions to imprisonment 'as fully as they should be'. It said prisons 'should have an absolute upper limit' for the number of prisoners that can be held and refuse to take any more. It said the Central Mental Hospital had an official capacity of 130, but could only operate 112 beds during the CPT visit. 'Capacity should be expanded' It said expanding capacity should be an 'utmost priority' for Irish authorities but expressed concern at the lack of official timeline to do so. The report said that opening the Central Mental Hospital Intensive Care and Rehabilitation Unit would likely 'significantly reduce' waiting times to get in. The CPT backed recommendations by a 2022 Government High Level Taskforce to set up step-down psychiatric facilities and designate regional psychiatric inpatients units to take mentally ill prisoners. 'Largely positive experiences' at Ballydowd and Oberstown It said the 'most pressing issue' affecting Ballydowd Special Care unit was insufficient capacity and that prolonged waiting times for admission had 'significantly worsened'. It said Oberstown Children Detention Centre needed a 'step-down' facility to aid reintegration and gradual re-entry into the community. The CPT said staff in both youth facilities were 'praised' for the child-centred approach and the young people in them reported 'largely positive experiences'.
Irish Times
12 hours ago
- Irish Times
Prison officer allegedly used riot shield to repeatedly strike inmate in van
There has been an increase in allegations of abuse of inmates by prison staff, including an incident which left a prisoner with 'significant disabilities', a European committee has found. The findings are contained in a report by the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) which conducted a broad-ranging inspection of Irish places of detention, the first since 2019. Physical safety of those in male prisons 'has deteriorated sharply', the CPT said. It said there has been an increase in allegations of prisoner abuse by staff since 2019, particularly in Cloverhill and Limerick prisons. 'Incidents included slaps, punches, kicks and other violence in places without CCTV coverage, such as escort vans and reception areas,' it said. READ MORE The report described severe overcrowding in some prisons, with some inmates having a living area of just 2.8sq m. 'Meanwhile, inter-prisoner violence remains widespread, with drug-related conflict and contraband smuggling driving much of the violence,' it said. One alleged incident, which occurred in 2023, was captured on a CCTV camera secretly installed in a prison van without the knowledge of prison escort officers. The CPT said the footage captured a prison officer allegedly using a riot shield to repeatedly strike an inmate. CCTV shows the prisoner being carried out of the van 'bleeding significantly from large open wounds on his head', the CPT said. [ Irish prisons at risk of 'tragic event' if overcrowding not fixed, warn prison officers Opens in new window ] The prisoner suffered a bleed on the brain and spent several weeks in hospital. Prison records show he suffered from significant disabilities 'commensurate with a head and brain injury including memory loss.' An inquiry was later opened and a criminal investigation launched. It is understood that the officer remains suspended. The CPT called the incident 'deeply troubling'. Other incidents of prisoner abuse by staff noted by the CPT include an officer allegedly 'meting out severe physical abuse' to an inmate by putting a foot on his neck to choke him. In another alleged attack, prisoner officers kicked and punched a prisoner as he lay on the ground before one officer pulled him by the hair and tried to strangle him. The prisoner also alleged that the officers sexually assaulted him, the CPT said. The CPT said the investigation was pending at the time of their visit but that the evidence it reviewed appeared to show unnecessary force was used. 'CCTV coverage shows that a prison officer jumps on the head of the prisoner ... pulling his head down and puts the prisoner on the floor.' [ Prison service embarks on €400m building project to ease overcrowding Opens in new window ] In a lengthy document outlining its response to the CPT findings, the Irish Government undertook to update the committee on the investigation into the alleged riot shield incident and outlined measures the Irish Prison Service (IPS) has taken to improve staff monitoring and whistleblower protection. The IPS also said it would publish a notice reminding staff of the rules around the use of force and that it would improve recording of such incidents.
Time of India
2 days ago
- General
- Time of India
APPSC Recruitment 2025 over 650 vacancies announced for Forest Beat Officer and Assistant Beat Officer posts: Check detailed notification here
The Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) has issued Notification No. 06/2025 dated July 14, 2025, inviting online applications for the recruitment of Forest Beat Officer (FBO) and Assistant Beat Officer (ABO) posts under the Andhra Pradesh Forest Subordinate Service. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A total of 691 vacancies have been announced, 256 for Forest Beat Officer and 435 for Assistant Beat Officer, including posts reserved for Meritorious Sportspersons (MSP). The application window will be open from July 16 to August 5, 2025, on the official website, APPSC FBO/ABO Recruitment 2025: Eligibility criteria and selection process To apply for the Forest Beat Officer (FBO) and Assistant Beat Officer (ABO) posts, candidates must meet the following key requirements: Must be Indian citizens aged between 18 and 30 years as on July 1, 2025. Must have passed the Intermediate Examination or its equivalent. Must meet the prescribed physical standards, including: Height: 163 cm (men), 150 cm (women) Chest: 84 cm (men), 79 cm (women), with 5 cm expansion Relaxations in physical measurements apply to Scheduled Tribes and specific communities. Selection process includes: Screening Test (if required) Main Written Examination Walking Test (qualifying) Medical Examination Computer Proficiency Test (CPT) Bonus marks for NCC certificate holders (up to 5 marks) Final selection will be based on written exam performance, physical test qualification, CPT results, and applicable reservation and bonus marks. APPSC FBO/ABO Recruitment 2025: How to apply Candidates can apply online by following the steps below, once the application link is activated: Step 1. Visit the APPSC website at Step 2. Complete the One Time Profile Registration (OTPR) if applying for the first time. Step 3. Login using the OTPR User ID and Password. Step 4. Click on 'Online Application Submission' and select the notification number 06/2025. Step 5. Fill in all required details including local/non-local status, white card information, qualification details, and exam centre preference. Step 6. Submit the application using the 'Save & Submit' button. Step 7. Proceed to pay the application fee online through the provided payment gateway. Step 8. Save and download the application form and payment receipt for future reference. Candidates can check the detailed notification . APPSC FBO/ABO Recruitment 2025: Important dates Candidates interested in applying for the Forest Beat Officer (FBO) and Assistant Beat Officer (ABO) posts under the APPSC should keep track of the following key dates related to the recruitment schedule. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Event Date Notification Release Date July 14, 2025 Start of Online Application July 16, 2025 Last Date to Apply Online August 5, 2025 (11:59 PM) Hall Ticket Download To be announced Screening Test (if conducted) To be announced Main Examination To be announced Correction Window for Applications 7 days after application deadline APPSC FBO/ABO recruitment 2025: Reservation policy and local status The recruitment follows both vertical and horizontal reservation policies as per Andhra Pradesh government rules. Local Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates are exclusively eligible for 100% of posts in scheduled areas. All applicants must produce valid documents such as community, local status, and EWS certificates during verification.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
This Form Of Exercise Might Aid In Fat Loss—And All You Need Is 7 Minutes
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Losing weight and gaining muscle are two major feats in and of themselves, but if your goal is to achieve both at the same time, you're likely working toward body recomposition. Strength training and intentional nutrition are two vital keys to success, but there's another secret weapon worth adding to your arsenal: sprinting. By definition, a sprint is an all-out, maximum effort run over a short distance or time, says Hayley Akradi, CPT, a certified personal trainer at Life Time and the creator of the Body Blueprint Program. 'In practice, that means pushing to about 90 to 100 percent of your top speed for 10 to 30 seconds,' she says. You may have sworn off sprints since high school gym class, but it's worth lacing up your running shoes again. Aside from boosting cardiovascular endurance, a growing body of research supports that these intense intervals are a leading way to change the ratio of fat to muscle in your body. Don't be fooled, though—sprinting alone won't get you to your goals. Fat loss and muscle gain is largely accomplished in the kitchen, by increasing your protein intake and lowering your overall caloric intake. Without those two changes, sprinting can only help you so much. Once you have your nutrition nailed down (with the help of a dietitian, if you can!), here's how sprinting can help you reach your body recomp goals. Meet the experts: Hayley Akradi, CPT, is a certified personal trainer at Life Time and the creator of the Body Blueprint Program launching soon on the LT Digital app. Sara Hayes, is a RRCA-certified running coach and founder of Mindful Miles. How Sprinting Can Help Stimulate Fat Loss It can burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time. Sprinting is a high-intensity exercise that demands a lot of energy in a short amount of time. Given such, sprinting burns significantly more calories per minute than lower-intensity exercise like jogging, walking, or even traditional high-intensity interval training (HIIT), says Akradi. In fact, thanks to the high caloric burn, sprint interval training results in a 39.59 percent higher reduction in body fat percentage than HIIT, according to a 2024 meta-analysis of several studies in RunRepeat. You'll also save time while burning more calories because the same study found sprint intervals required 60.84 percent less time than HIIT. It's a win-win. It can increase excess post-exercise oxygen consumption. After sprinting, your body requires more oxygen to return to its resting state than walking or jogging, says Sara Hayes, a RRCA-certified running coach and founder of Mindful Miles. This is colloquially known as the 'afterburn effect,' but scientifically speaking, it's called excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). 'EPOC essentially means your body keeps working hard even after you're done training, which means your body keeps burning calories during recovery,' Hayes says. As a result, sprint intervals can trigger fat loss by increasing total caloric burn throughout the day, in turn, boosting metabolism, and increasing fat oxidation (the process where the body breaks down fatty acids to produce energy) post-workout, per 2023 research in Physiological Reports. It can help build and maintain muscle. Sprinting helps maintain muscle, and can even build some in those that are generally untrained (if you've been lifting for several years, don't expect to see any gains from sprinting). Muscle growth plays a key role in shifting body composition, Akradi says. This is because muscle tissue burns more calories at rest than fat tissue, ultimately raising your resting metabolic rate over time, she explains. Sprinting activates your entire body, but 2025 research published in Applied Sciences found it's especially great for engaging the hamstrings and glutes. It releases fat-burning hormones. Sprinting increases the release of fat-burning hormones like adrenaline, human growth hormone, and testosterone, which creates the perfect storm for body recomposition, according to Akradi. Consistent sprinting can also improve insulin sensitivity (insulin is a hormone used to help regulate blood sugar levels), meaning your body becomes better at using carbohydrates for fuel rather than storing them as fat, per 2020 research in Molecular Basis of Disease. How Sprinting Impacts Your Metabolism 'In the short term, sprinting demands a high level of energy, so your metabolism spikes, but over the long term, sprinting encourages more muscle mass, and more muscle means a higher resting metabolic rate,' Hayes explains. EPOC also comes back into play here. The intensity of sprinting requires your body to burn more calories post-sprint to restore oxygen levels and repair muscle tissue, raising metabolism for hours, per 2024 research in Scientific Reports. So, put simply, consistent sprinting helps your body become more efficient at burning energy, even when at rest. Does sprinting build and maintain muscle? Sort of. Sprinting is essentially explosive resistance training using your own body weight, so every sprint activates your glutes, quads, hamstrings, calves, and core, allowing you to maintain muscle, and even potentially build some if you're body is not used to resistance training, Hayes says. Speaking of, sprinting is a great complement to traditional resistance training. 'Sprinting and strength work are a perfect pair because strength training builds your foundation, and sprinting adds power and speed, so together, they increase lean muscle, boost coordination, and promote metabolic efficiency,' she says. Sprints and strength training work hand-in-hand to support each other: more strength means stronger sprints, and stronger sprints reinforces movement patterns that support lifting and athletic movement. The intensity of sprinting also trains your fast-twitch muscle fibers, which your body recruits when you need to execute quick, explosive movements, Akradi says. 'These fibers produce force quickly but fatigue fast, so training them builds muscle density and strength, while also preserving muscle mass as you age.' How does sprinting differ from steady state jogging when it comes to muscle growth? I'm glad you asked. 'Steady-state cardio primarily recruits slow-twitch fibers and burns fewer calories per minute, so while it supports endurance and cardiovascular health, it doesn't offer the same muscular stimulus or post-exercise metabolic boost,' Akradi says. 'Sprinting, in contrast, challenges fast-twitch fibers, preserves or builds muscle mass, and stimulates more hormonal activity.' Both have their place in a well-rounded fitness routine, but if your goal is body recomposition, Akradi says sprinting is more $180.00 at 2 $180.00 at 22 $164.95 at How To Incorporate Sprinting Into Your Workout Routine Whether you're up for a standalone sprint workout or implementing a few intervals as a finisher, start conservatively. 'Consistency matters more than volume, so it's about quality over quantity,' Akradi says. And there's good news: Even if sprinting isn't your favorite workout but you still want to reap the benefits, Akradi says just four to six all-out sprints can drive results. 'If you're looking for the bare minimum but still want to see results, I recommend sprinting one to two times per week with four to six intervals at 15 to 30 seconds each.' To get you started, Akradi programmed the below sprint workout that can be done on its own or as the cherry on top of a strength training session. Pro tip: Save your sprints for upper body days. Running on fresh legs will lessen your chance of injury. If you have to tack it to the end of your leg day, that's okay—just be cautious of how hard you go on already tired legs. Warm-up (about 5 to 7 minutes) Dynamic stretching and two to three gentle accelerations Sprint intervals (about 7 to 11 minutes) Four to six rounds: 15- to 30-second sprint (give 90 to 100 percent effort) 90-second walk or slow jog between each interval Cooldown (about 5 minutes) Easy walk and full body stretching You Might Also Like Jennifer Garner Swears By This Retinol Eye Cream These New Kicks Will Help You Smash Your Cross-Training Goals
Time of India
5 days ago
- Climate
- Time of India
84 mm rain in less than 2 hours, high tide combine to sink city pockets
1 2 3 4 5 6 Kolkata: Heavy showers left Kolkata drenched and streets inundated for several hours on Saturday afternoon. The spell turned out to be the second heaviest of the season, triggering 84 mm of rain between 8 am and 2.30 pm. On July 8, the city had recorded 87 mm, which is so far the highest this monsoon. While Saturday's rain was caused by the twin effect of the monsoon trough and a north-south trough, a fresh low-pressure area is set to form over the north Bay of Bengal on July 24, which may lead to showers across south Bengal, including Kolkata, said the Met office. Several thoroughfares across south, north, and central Kolkata went underwater during the shower that gained intensity from 12 noon. The heaviest rain was recorded at Southern Avenue, which received 101 mm, followed by 91 mm at Chetla and Jagannath Ghat at Strand Road, 87 mm at Kalighat, and 75 mm at the CPT colony area in Taratala. Around 6 pm, the rainwater was yet to recede in Southern Avenue, Lake Gardens, Jodhpur Park, Chetla, Alipore, and Behala neighbourhoods. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata Southern Avenue, Jodhpur Park and Lake Gardens remained waterlogged till evening. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Other areas that were waterlogged included Picnic Garden Road, Ballygunge Phanri, Chetla, Alipore, Kalighat, Ritchie Road, Sukias Street, and CR Avenue, among others. Parts of Strand Road, MG Road, and Kalakar Street were under knee-deep water. The roads that were above ankle-deep water were BB Ganguly Street, Canning Street, CR Avenue, Muktarambabu Street, Dum Dum underpass, Amherst Street, Thanthania Kalibari area, Ultadanga underpass, and Bechu Chatterjee Street. Other areas like RN Mukherjee Road, Council House Street, Govt Place East near Curzon Park, New CIT Road, Rabindra Sarani, Ganesh Talkies, and parts of APC Road were under ankle-deep water. Due to the presence of high tide, all lock gates along the Hooghly were shut till 8.30 pm. According to a KMC drainage department official, the closure of lock gates made the waterlogging scenario worse in several parts of the city till late evening. Three trees (Arjun and Krishnachura) fell near Vivekananda Road in the Southern Avenue area, blocking the road and damaging lampposts. Elsewhere, a portion of a two-storey dilapidated building collapsed on Raja Brojendra Narayan Street in Posta around 2.20 pm on Saturday. No one was injured. "While the rain was intense, it didn't last more than two hours," said Regional Meteorological Centre weather scientist Sourish Bandopadhyay. "Heavy to very heavy rain (7-20 cm) has been predicted at one or two places in East and West Midnapore, South 24 Parganas, and Bankura on July 24. Some places across south Bengal could receive heavy rain as well. Heavy rain is likely to continue at Jhargram, Purulia, Bankura, East and West Midnapore, and Birbhum on July 25," said an RMC bulletin on Saturday.
