Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 421: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if it is possible to change the signing in day for a person (details supplied) at a prison from Wednesday to Saturday; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26964/04]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The person to whom the Deputy refers was committed to custody on 15 September 2004 having been sentenced to three months' imprisonment for having no insurance. Allowing for normal remission, he is due to complete his sentence on 20 November 2004. As part of the management of his sentence, he was granted temporary release for one week, subject to specific conditions, with effect from Wednesday, 13 October 2004. This period of temporary release was reviewed on his return and I have since approved further periods of temporary release.

With regard to the Deputy's request to change the signing on day for the person concerned from Wednesday to Saturday, there is no "signing on" day per se. The day concerned is the expiration of the offender's period of temporary release and the granting of one or more periods of temporary release confers no entitlement to further concessions. However, it is open to prisoners to make a request through the governor to have a period of release varied so as to terminate at a weekend. I understand that this was done in the present case and the prisoner was subsequently approved for temporary release until Saturday, 6 November 2004, at which stage his case will be considered again.