Ms Réidín Dunne:

As part of our BRIO programme, which is for justice-involved women and women who use substances, we work in Dóchas women's prison weekly. We are aware of the growing number of women on very short sentences. The Probation Service in Dóchas prison has recently spoken to us about women on two-week sentences in the hope that they will receive a probation report within that time. The disruption to those women's lives and the impact and fracture of family functioning as a consequence of a two-week sentence means they will not benefit from that, however. Even the ability of the Probation Service to turn around a probation report within that period of time is undermined. The fracture to that family is absolutely huge. Our view is that no woman should be sentenced for two weeks for any crime. There is an alternative. There are alternative placements for women that are community based that can hold them in that space. We, among other people, are willing to do that because we believe it is good for the family, mother and society.