Plans to radically expand the number of prison places for women are being questioned because statistical data shows there is no evidence of an upward trend of crime among women. Published in the November edition of the journal 'Working Notes', the analysis of figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) on court convictions and the Irish Prison Service statistics on imprisonment, carried out by the Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice, showed that the majority of prison places were occupied by women being held on remand and on immigration-related issues.
In 2006, for example, out of a total of 1,160 female inmates, 459 or 40 per cent were committals on remand and 25 per cent were immigration-related.
Author of the article, Fr Tony O'Riordan, said the official figures do not support the government's plans to double the number of places at the main women's prison, the Dóchas Centre at Mountjoy in Dublin, which is currently over-crowded.
The department plans to build a new prison to house 40 women in Kilworth, Co Cork.
Fr O'Riordan said the reason for overcrowding in the Dóchas Centre was the inappropriate use of the prison for the detention of women on remand, under immigration legislation and under sentence for short periods.
The analysis of the statistics over a three year period between 2003-2006 showed that the majority of convictions for women are for less serious crimes; 55 per cent of women had received three months or less and 77 per cent had been given a sentence of six months or less.
In all, 91 per cent had received sentences of less than a year, and only 4 per cent a sentence of more than two years.
Fr O'Riordan warned of a systematic tendency within the criminal justice system to make sure the prison places are filled once they have been created.
''The existence of the places will lessen any impulse to try to expand non-custodial alternatives and to truly make imprisonment the option of last resort.''
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(Source: IC)