James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This has been a very interesting session. Senators Ward and McDowell discussed whether sentences should be set at the outset or in due course and what degree of latitude should be allowed. Mandatory minimum sentences always generate discussion. The point was made that judges can remove themselves from the emotion of the situation. This is true but I am reminded of "The Shawshank Redemption". Morgan Freeman's character, Red, has a spiel every year for the parole board. Eventually, as a broken man he goes in and tells the truth and says he was young, foolish and impetuous. They see him for the first time as he is and tell him to go free because he has learned. The person being sentenced may not be the same person ten, 15 or 20 years later. People can mature. Mr. Graham is an example of this, if I might say so. People do change. They engage with the system.

Mr. Graham is a very successful example of that. I hope that there are many others in the system who benefit from rehabilitation. Today's discussion has been about rehabilitation, how to get people to progress through the system, improve, and emerge stronger and better for doing so. We have had a really useful engagement and I thank everybody for their participation.

I wish to advise the witnesses about what happens next; the members are familiar with the procedure. We will minute this discussion and revisit it in our meetings. We will also take all of the written submissions supplied by the witnesses present and some others who did not come before the committee today but submitted writing and materials in advance. We will consider all of that and produce a report based on today's engagement on rehabilitation in the prison system. We normally include a number of recommendations so they will be largely based on the views of all of the witnesses who have come before us and will reflect the inputs into today's discussion. I thank them for their inputs and submissions. We appreciate the opportunity to engage with them. We have had a useful debate that will make a very interesting report and I hope that will add value that will spur on some of the changes that we have discussed today.

That concludes our formal engagement for this session at least. I thank Mr. Graham who appeared remotely. It was great to have him with us. It was somewhat historic and I am delighted that we were able to do so. I thank him for his contributions. I also thank everybody who attended in person. I must mention, and probably Mr. Mullins is the best man to say it, but slightly stepping away from today's meeting, that the committee may seek to visit one of the prisons in the near future. We will arrange our visit with whomever is best placed to arrange same, and we will be in touch about it, to take place on another day and as a separate exercise.

I ask the members to remain for a moment to deal with housekeeping but the witnesses are free to go. Mr. Graham is free to disengage and I thank him again for his contributions today.