Plan for prison expansion is a bad idea

Sir, – We are members of Ireland’s criminology, political, and advocacy communities with deep knowledge of the Irish criminal justice system, and the research that shows how government can use penal and social policy in smart and equitable ways to keep all of society safe.

Prison causes harm and fails to address the causes of offending or prepare people to reintegrate into society. . For those who have been to prison before, clearly it is not helping them to solve the problems in their lives that represent barriers to desistance from crime. The Probation Service also commissioned an evidence-based report on developing community service which calls for a desistance-informed approach, the development of restorative justice, and the use of social and economic policy levers. Yet, the Probation Service’s budget increased by just €2 million in 2023, a far cry from the €49.5 million now being allocated to prison expansion.

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