Vol. 430 No. 7
46 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the total present requirement of prison places in the event of all prisoners serving full sentence less remission, with no more than one prisoner per cell; the manner in which she proposes to meet these requirements; the extent to which such requirements are being met; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
I should point out, first of all, that a system of temporary release has been operating since the enactment of the Criminal Justice Act, 1960 and that systems of parole or early release are a feature of most modern penal systems. It is unrealistic, therefore, to make calculations which exclude some level of early releases.
There are 2,186 persons in custody. The number of single cells is 1,307 and there is dormitory-type accommodation, that is, rooms designed to accommodate more than one offender for 493. In calculating a true figure for overcrowding or, to put it another way, a true figure for additional cell space requirements, it is unrealistic to begin on the basis that there are never any circumstances in which a single cell can reasonably be occupied by two persons. In an ideal world where public finances were unlimited, it might be reasonable to begin on that basis. However, in a situation of scarce resources where there are competing and equally meritorious demands for more and better health services, social welfare benefits, support for employment creation and so on, it is not reasonable to conclude that the obligation on the State in the prisons area is to make up the difference between the number of single cell spaces and the total numbers occupying them by providing a corresponding number of cells.
While this might be seen as an ideal longer term aim, I would say that the short term additional cell space requirement is at a much lower figure. I cannot provide a precise figure at this time though this is one of the specific matters which will fall to be considered in the major review of official policy in relation to the operation of prisons and treatment of offenders which I announced recently.
