Ms Maria Joyce:

In the work we are doing with peer support in the Dóchas Centre, the women have talked quite a bit about the crimes that have gotten them there. Some of them feel they are on the petty crime end of it. Some of the driving offences are driving without tax or insurance but sometimes these are first offences and the women felt that a non-custodial sentence would have addressed the level of the crime, as opposed to a custodial sentence. There is a strong sense from many of the women we have engaged with in the Dóchas Centre that it is one option for a Traveller in the criminal justice system and another outcome for a non-Traveller, where there are parallels in the crime that has been committed. That is something that needs to be addressed because too many Travellers, including Traveller women, are ending up with custodial sentences where a non-custodial sentence could have addressed the issue. That would also have ensured that the issues around the revolving door policy or practice could be addressed quicker with supports outside.

I will pick up on one or two of the questions that were asked, particularly around engagement with supports on leaving prison that may not be within the Traveller organisations and are more linked to the prisons. Some of the women we have engaged with in the Dóchas Centre are clearly saying that they do not see themselves in the responses of any of those services. I am not saying that work is not being done to look at how we can make these spaces more culturally appropriate, where they feel that there is something for them in it. Work is beginning to be done in that regard but that is something that has come up. Women have left the prison and gone to the service but say they did not get anything from it. Again, where Traveller organisations are engaging and trying to support, that is one part of a piece of work.

They are so stretched for resources and looking at trying to address other issues and this is just an additional piece of work. Still, they are trying to engage and support Travellers who are re-engaging in the community but there are a number of reasons.

A final point I would make is on paper, in relation to services and prison, it looks good. The reality though is it is not the same in terms of how Travellers and Traveller women can access some of those supports and services. Regarding some of the internal stuff around psychological supports, there is a real need to ensure culturally-appropriate psychological supports and other culturally-appropriate supports are being resourced within the prisons. Some of that is starting to happen but it is a tiny aspect and it does need much more in terms of those critical supports when looking at issues of trauma that are really deep-seated. The suicide rate for Traveller women is six times higher and it is seven times higher for Traveller men. Few Travellers have not been directly affected by suicide of family members, friends or multiple persons. A survey by the Community Foundation for Ireland, CFI, a few years ago showed that in all of the Travellers who engaged in that research, there were multiple layers where they were coming into contact with the community regarding suicide, including direct family members and friends. Multiple layers of all those need to be addressed in these issues.