Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 412: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to increase use of open prisons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35649/11]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The objectives of open centres are to provide a place of detention aimed at the rehabilitation of offenders. Open Centres have a regime that includes education, training and work which encourages a sense of personal responsibility and self respect in order to assist prisoners leading law-abiding lives on their return to the community. The profile of open centres generally include either low risk offenders, who are serving short sentences for minor offences, or offenders nearing the end of longer sentences whose transfers have been approved as part of a sentence management programme.

There are currently two such centres in the prison estate. The bed capacity and population as at 21 November 2011 are outlined in the following table.

The Deputy will be aware that the Thornton Hall Review Group's recommendations envisaged the incorporation of secure step-down facilities which will provide an open centre regime within the perimeter walls of both institutions. Whilst the reduced capital envelope this year will not allow the Prison Service to proceed with the construction of Thornton Hall or Kilworth prisons, this does not signal a reversal of the Government's decision earlier this year to approve in principle the recommendations contained in the Thornton Hall Review Group Report.

It has been necessary to defer the commencement of these projects but the Deputy can be assured that it is my strong intention to revisit the timeframe for their delivery in 12 months time. In the meantime, the development of further open centre spaces will be considered by the Irish Prison Service under the 5-year Capital Strategy which is currently being developed.