Ms Anne Costello:

Yes, we definitely support non-custodial sentencing or short sentences. There is no question about that. It is a sad indictment of society that prison is a safer place than the community for many women, not just Traveller women. On the revolving door, we have often spoken to people who went to prison for minor crimes. They got into the wrong company in prison or prison became normalised, and then the type of crime became more serious. Without getting supports, it was just a revolving door. Regarding the open prison, yes, there should definitely be an open prison for women. There is a need for more sheltered accommodation, but also supports. That is where the link work we are speaking about could play a vital role for Traveller women - linking them into supports in respect of their addictions, homelessness or whatever issues there are so they can be diverted from prison.