Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is well understood that imprisonment is supposed to be a last resort for anybody who comes before our courts. This is particularly so in the case of women because the crimes for which they are incarcerated are often very different from those for which males are incarcerated. We know that 90% of women are jailed for short-term sentences for non-violent and minor offences, at a cost of almost €70,000 per year. Over 80% are sentenced for non-payment of fines and there is an average of 140 women in our prisons, the vast majority of whom do not belong there.

The Minister has suggested the step-down facility is an alternative to prison. If it is, I am delighted to hear it and maybe I am barking up the wrong tree because my understanding was that it was an exit route out of prison. If it is instead of imprisonment I welcome it because women exiting prison need support, not with a paternalistic step-down facility but with independent living and supports to deal with drug issues, mental health issues and poverty, which are the reasons most women end up in prison in the first instance.

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