Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)

I note the point being made by Senator Terry and there may be some validity in it. One would wish that people served their sentences. On the other hand, early release must be taken into consideration. Resources should not be used up for such a short period of time. Community service might be relevant in this case. In general, community service sentencing can often be a very prudent and restorative measure from the point of view of the culprit. It could be considered as an alternative to putting people in jail for short periods of time when the bulk of the sentence had been served.