Vol. 513 No. 4
77 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the guidelines which are followed in relation to temporary release from prison for bereavements, family occasions, Christmas or other special times of the year; and his views on whether these guidelines are too restrictive or otherwise in view of the record of those who return voluntarily or abscond. [2621/00]
Before granting temporary release careful consideration is given to a number of factors, including the nature and seriousness of the offence, record of previous temporary releases, behaviour in custody, length of sentence served, and any compassionate grounds which merit special consideration. The overriding concern when decisions are being made in individual cases is the safety of the public.
I do not consider these guidelines to be too restrictive. All of the factors that I have outlined are important when considering either the threat that an offender may pose to the safety of the public or the possibility that the offender may not return to prison at the appointed time.
