The Irish Prison Service has adopted a number of practices in response to the need to prevent transmission of COVID-19 in Irish prisons, and to subsequently uphold Ireland’s commitment to the protection of life under Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights. These measures include, amongst others, restrictions on family contact, quarantine and isolation, restrictions on access to exercise and activities and changes to the prison regime. In response to these restrictive measures, and the need to assess their impact on people living and working in prison, the Office of the Inspector of Prisons prepared a programme of COVID-19 Thematic Inspections to be carried out in all Irish prisons in 2021.The objective of these visits is to provide a human rights informed assessment of the treatment and care of prisoners across the Irish Prison Service. COVID-19 Thematic Inspections are carried out in line with the process provided in the 2020 Framework for the Inspection of Prisons in Ireland, and are designed to examine the five Focus Areas detailed in the Framework, with a particular focus on the impact of COVID-19 on the prison.