Calls To Scrap Short Prison Sentences

The Irish Penal Reform Trust says prison officers are working in volatile conditions.

Short term sentences should be scrapped, as prisons deal with overcrowding issues.  

The Irish Penal Reform Trust says prison officers are working in volatile conditions, with Portlaoise Prison operating at 132 per cent of its capacity and Midlands Prison at 129 per cent as recently as Friday last week.

The Prison Officers Association are also threatening possible industrial action, with pay issues and rising violence also being flagged as issues. 

Recent figures from the CSO showed that criminals who received short sentences are likely to reoffend. 

Saoirse Brady is the Executive Director of the Irish Penal Reform Trust - she says adequate supports aren't available for those who receive short sentences. 
 

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