Group backs plan for early jail release

A key State body has indicated its support for Oireachtas proposals that prisoners who have engaged in rehabilitation should be able to get out of jail earlier.

The Parole Board said that recommendations made by the Oireachtas justice committee to increase remission from a quarter to a third could form part of a new enhanced remission regime.

In such a scheme, enhanced remission would be considered if an inmate took part in rehabilitative and therapeutic services in jail, such as those aimed at addressing offending behaviour and psychological treatment.

The chairman of the Parole Board, which examines applications for release from inmates who have served a minimum of seven years of their sentence, said he had met prisoners during the year who were critical of other inmates who did not take part in therapeutic services.

“They recommended that there might be enhanced remission for those participating prisoners who benefit from the programmes,” chairman John Costello said in the Parole Board’s report for 2012.

“The Irish Penal Reform Trust has recommended such an incentivised scheme, which would require an internal Irish Prison Service System of measuring engagement with services. I believe there is merit in this idea.”

“Life-sentenced prisoners do not qualify for remission,” Mr Costello said, adding that one life-sentence prisoner was released, “subject to appropriate conditions”, after 13 years. He said Justice Minister Alan Shatter made the decision on a recommendation of the board.

Mr Costello said in the past that the Parole Board and ministers had indicated that life-sentenced prisoners should normally serve a minimum of 15 years.

The report showed that 66 prisoners were referred to the board for review in 2012 and all were invited to participate. Mr Costello said 44 accepted the invitation while 17 declined. The number of refusals rose from 10 in 2011.

The total caseload was 268 (including 202 cases carried over), compared to 205 in 2011.