IRISH PENAL SYSTEM

Irish Penal system

Table of Contents

Introduction2

Discussion2

Brief History:2

Statistics:3

Factors that shapes Imprisonment Experience:4

Irish Penal System- Humane or inhumane:6

Overcrowded Prisons:7

Conclusion11

References13

Irish Penal System

Introduction

'Wasteful and increasing' scare resource sums are being spent by the criminal justice system with poor outcomes. A shift to the social justice from the criminal justice is being demanded by the children's groups and penal reform that claim that modest investments within communities that are under-resourced would have better positive benefits in decreasing the crime rate in addition to the broader benefits for the society (O'Keeffe, 2010). For a number of reasons, the penal policies of Ireland are not working. Obviously, for ensuring justice and fairness within the penal policy a change in direction is required. Particularly, the confidence of the public in the policies regarding criminal justice has been greatly undermined by the trend for blaming the law for the issue, rather than endeavoring for addressing the realistic problems of crime prevention and detection. Latest reactions to offenses are observed to emphasize on reducing the suspects' fair trial rights and increasing criminal penalties, when each of the existing substantiation indicates detection and prevention of crime as being the most significant areas that have to be dealt with for reducing the rates of crime. This paper discusses the Irish penal system in a holistic context.

Discussion

Brief History:

In the early 1850s, Sir Walter Crofton originated the penal method of the Irish system. It was modeled after the mark system by Alexander Maconochie, which stresses on performance and training as the main reform instruments. There were three phases within the Irish system: a solitary confinement period; a congregate work period, within which on the basis of marks or credits (earned for good behavior and industry) the prisoners advanced to the upper level; and, lastly, a minimal supervision period referred to as 'intermediate prisons', in which the prisoners had to show their employability and dependability in the society. Liberation was provisional upon the offender's persistent good behavior / conduct, because if it appeared prudent he or she could be sent back to the prison. 'Tickets for leave' were issues to prisoners who were believed to be appropriate for discharge from the prison, and such prisoners were supervised by an inspector who confirmed the status of employment and carried out intermittent visits to the new residence place of the prisoner. The parole development was influenced by the Irish system, having its stress on provisional discharge and its utilization of leave tickets (Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc, 2012).

Statistics:

Historically, a tremendously low imprisonment rate has been enjoyed by Ireland. Nonetheless, recently, a significant growth has been observed within Ireland's prison population. Currently, within Ireland there are fourteen prisons having a combined bed capacity of more than four thousand. In the year 2009, the each day mean prisoner numbers who were in custody were 3,881 (IPS, 2010). Nonetheless, currently majority of these prisons operate above or at the maximum capacity. The population within the prisons, as of January 25 2011, stood at 4,541 (IPRT, ...