Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Independent)
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100. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if her Department has considered, as advocated for by an organisation (details supplied), the alternatives to incarceration for non-violent offenders, such as community-based sanctions or diversion programmes, to reduce prison overcrowding and the socio-economic impact of short-term imprisonment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26545/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I can assure the Deputy that the Government is committed to building stronger, safer communities, including by progressing policies aimed at reducing offending, diverting people away from the criminal justice system, where appropriate, and by providing effective rehabilitation.

The Programme for Government contains a broad range of policies and proposals that represent a coherent approach to enhancing and sustaining a more just and safe society, and a specific commitment to review policy options for prison and penal reform. In fulfilment of this commitment the Review of Policy Options for Prison and Penal Reform 2022-2024 was published in August 2022.

The purpose of the Review of Policy Options for Prison and Penal Reform is to strengthen the options available to judges when they are considering sentencing in cases.

This report, and its action plan, seek to find the balance so that people who commit serious crimes receive a punishment and a period of incarceration proportionate to that crime, while at the same time ensuring that the courts have a wide range of appropriate alternative options for dealing with those who have committed minor offences and who might otherwise receive a sentence of 12 months or less.

As the Deputy will be aware, non-custodial penalties, particularly supervised community sanctions, can play a significant and important role in addressing criminality, reducing reoffending and providing a degree of protection to the public. This is supported by Central Statistics Office figures on recidivism.

This targeted approach will facilitate a more tailored response so that the interventions made will be more effective in preventing people falling into a cycle of offending behaviour.

The Deputy may also be aware that my Department has undertaken a policy review of the previously published General Scheme of the Criminal Justice (Community Sanctions) Bill 2014 and following on from this, I expect to bring a revised General Scheme to Government in due course.