Statement: Bacik Welcomes First Meeting of Justice Committee Sub-Group on Penal Reform

STATEMENT BY SENATOR IVANA BACIK

Labour Party Seanad leader and Spokespersonon Justice
Wednesday 9th November 2011

BACIK WELCOMES FIRST MEETING OF JUSTICE COMMITTEE SUB-GROUP ON PENAL REFORM

Senator Ivana Bacik today welcomed the factthat the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice had convened the first meetingof its Sub-Committee on Penal Reform.

Senator Bacik said,

“I am delighted that this sub-committeeon Penal Reform has been established, at my initiative, to investigatenon-custodial alternatives to imprisonment, to include so-called ‘backdoor' strategies that involve some form of structured early release programmes.I am also delighted to have been appointed as Rapporteur to this sub-committee.

”The sub-committee at its meeting todayagreed to take submissions from relevant groups and to investigate differentmodels for early release strategies, to include release under communitysupervision; enhanced remission; and ‘earned' temporary release. Thesub-committee work programme has been strongly influenced by the findingsof the recent Thornton Hall Review Group Report, and we hope to build onthose findings and make positive recommendations to government when wehave concluded our deliberations.”

ENDS