Professor Ian O'Donnell:

I wish to echo the points made but I will also make a specific recommendation when it comes to the scale of the prison population. I also wish to say something about the scale of individual institutions. Dr. Warner remarked how the prison population in Ireland used to be low, even in relatively recent times. The world prison population list was published initially by the Home Office in London. It was first published in 1999. We measure the rate of imprisonment because the population is increasing a good deal. Our rate of imprisonment in that list was approximately 65 per 100,000. The EU 15 average was approximately 85 per 100,000. This meant we were 20 percentage points below average. The latest edition of that list came out last year. The average was approximately 100 per 100,000 and we sit on that average position now.

Senator Bacik asked how could we produce a report that will not simply gather dust. One way would be to have something specified with sufficient precision such that when it is returned to in several years, people will say that it either has had the desired effect or otherwise. What might that be? We might return to a situation whereby we are 20 points below the European average within a specified timeframe. Much of the increase in imprisonment has been during the past five years. It would not be outrageous to suggest that we pull our rate of imprisonment back down to 20 points below the European norm in the coming five years. That represents a quantifiable, measurable target and a reasonable period to get there. The increase took approximately five years and it has been somewhat uncontrolled; it seems reasonable to redress the increase in the same period.

A question was asked about optimum prison size. From the literature with which I am familiar my sense is that the optimum is somewhat higher than the suggestion of my colleagues, approximately the 300 mark, but certainty a good way below the prison populations in this country at the moment. Specific points were made about remission, prisoner reintegration and structuring a sentence such that the planning for release beings on the first day of a period of imprisonment. The issue of prisoner reintegration was something the National Economic and Social Forum devoted a full report to some ten years ago. The report made several useful recommendations and there may be some merit in re-examining them. Although it has not been used, given that is possible under prison rules at the moment, a remission rates of one third would be a good place to start. If the rate of remission were increased above that level there is a possibility of a knock-on effect in terms of the sentences imposed. Why not start with that measure? There would be fewer ripples of disquiet. We can do it so why not proceed and see what happens?