Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 420: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to introduce imprisonment as a last resort in legislation that would place a legal requirement on judges to first consider and rule out all other options before imposing a prison sentence, as well as a requirement for judges to provide the reasoning behind their imposition of a prison sentence in their judgments. [35657/11]

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 429: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will commission a review of sentencing practices, which currently sees high numbers of women receive custodial sentences for less serious and non-violent crimes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35666/11]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 420 and 429 together.

I have already introduced a number of measures to encourage the use of non-custodial sanctions. Furthermore one of the recommendations of the Thornton Hall Review Group was the establishment of an all encompassing strategic review of penal policy which would incorporate an examination and analysis of all aspects of penal policy including prevention, sentencing policies, alternatives to custody, accommodation and regimes, support for reintegration and rehabilitation, the issue of female prisoners and 16 and 17 year olds within the system. I intend to establish a group to give effect to that recommendation. Details of the group will be announced shortly.