Sub-Committee on penal reform to hear submissions from three groups

The groups attending the meeting are:

• Care After Prison;
• Focus Ireland; and
• The Cornmarket Project

Committee Chairman Deputy David Stanton said: “This sub-Committee's role is to examine the possible use of non-custodial alternatives to imprisonment – in particular strategies which might involve some form of early release. The Committee is concerned at the issue of overcrowding in prisons and the role of prisons in dealing with some minor offences.

It is important to hear at first-hand from those involved in the Penal system and also from those parties with proposals on penal reform. We have already held three meetings with interested groups on this subject, while a delegation from the Committee recently visited Finland to meet with the Legal Affairs Committee, experts from Ministry of Justice and from Criminal Sanctions Agency to discuss the penal system in operation in Finland.  As well as receiving presentations on the Finnish penal system, the delegation visited Suomenlinna Island Open Prison where the main focus is on the preparation of prisoners for release.

Finland’s penal system is regarded as a model of best practice and we were very impressed by what we saw there. We would hope to incorporate the experience from Finland and other jurisdictions and consider various potential models for penal reform in our review.

The sub-Committee has also received some detailed submissions on this matter and in this, its fourth public hearing, wishes to further explore the points raised.”

This meeting will start in Committee Room 2, Leinster House at 1.30pm on Wednesday 19th December.

Committee proceedings can be followed live at:
http://www.oireachtas.ie/ViewDoc.asp?fn=/documents/livewebcast/Web-Live.htm&CatID=83&m=o

For further information please contact:

Ciaran Brennan,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2

P: +3531 618 3903
M: 086-0496518
F: +3531 618 4551

Committee Membership

Deputies:

Niall Collins, Michael Creed, Alan Farrell, Anne Ferris [Vice-Chairman], Seán Kenny, Finian McGrath, Jonathan O’Brien, John Paul Phelan and David Stanton (Chairman).

Senators:

Ivana Bacik, Paul Bradford, Martin Conway, Rónán Mullen, Denis O’Donovan and Katherine Zappone.