A broken system - Travesty of justice

Two reports today remind us our justice system is neither working for criminals or their victims.

Justice Minister Alan Shatter’s admission that serious criminals have just walked away from low-security prisons and the report that staff are effectively powerless to prevent teenagers leaving special care units suggest that a root-and-branch reappraisal of our entire detention system is needed.

That these admissions are made against the backdrop of prisons so crowded that a great proportion of the sentences imposed by our courts are not served just adds an air of farce to an already dangerous situation.

For everyone involved, especially the young offenders who might be dissuaded from leading a self-destructive life, immediate action is required.