Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 20 Mar 1997

Vol. 476 No. 6

Written Answers. - Release of Prisoners.

Noel Davern

Question:

116 Mr. Davern asked the Minister for Justice her views on the failure to protect victims of crime by not allowing convicted persons to complete the sentences which have been imposed having regard to recent comments by two District Court judges (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7782/97]

Minister for Justice (Mrs. Owen)

I am aware of the comments to which the Deputy is referring.

It has not been the practice, however, to comment on statements made by judges in court and I do not propose to depart from the practice followed by my predecessors in that regard. Comments that may be made by members of the Judiciary outside of the courtroom setting would be a different matter.

I do, of course, recognise that the protection of potential victims of crime is one of my primary responsibilities as Minister for Justice. I am, therefore, particularly aware of the need, when considering individual prisoners for temporary release, to be fully cognisant of the potential risk to the public arising in each case. All releases are carefully vetted in this regard. It would be less than frank, however, not to recognise, as I have done on many occasions, that for several years, but especially the past ten years or so the shortage of prison accommodation has significantly increased the pressure to grant early release to prisoners. That is why I decided, with Government approval, to give priority to a major prisons expansion and development programme which will involve a total expenditure in the region of £135 million by the end of 1999 and will see available prison places increased by 35 per cent — about 800 places — by that time.

Some of these extra places have, in fact, already come on stream and I am proceeding separately with interim measures to reduce the number of offenders who are released early because of the prisons accommodation problem which I inherited.

It is right to acknowledge, also, that even if there were no accommodation difficulties, nobody could absolutely guarantee that the early release of offenders, which is a feature of prison systems worldwide, would ever be entirely free of risk. It is a fact of life, both within and outside of the prisons context, that some individuals, no matter how carefully vetted or how favourably assessed by those dealing with them, will nevertheless betray the trust placed in them and proceed to re-offend. What this argues for, however, is the exercise of care and professionalism in the vetting procedures, not an end to parole concessions of any kind.