Alternatives to prison in cases of non-violent crime urged 

Some 68% of respondents felt that expanding prison capacity will not reduce crime. File picture

More investment is needed to better support people struggling with addiction, poverty, and trauma to reduce Ireland’s prison population, a general election hustings by the Irish Prison Reform Trust (IPRT) has heard.

Politicians from five political parties agreed that the root causes of crime like poverty and addiction need to be better addressed to reduce Ireland’s prison population.