Prison pantomime - Change law on fines

That six out of 10 inmates in Cork Prison are jailed because they refuse to pay fines is preposterous.

It wastes resources, puts unsustainable pressure on our prison system, and makes a complete mockery of the idea of a financial penalty being a disincentive to criminals. That most offenders jailed for these relatively petty offences do not spend even a day in jail moves the farce into the realm of absolute pantomime.

Surely it is not beyond our parliament to devise a system where those who are fined for various offences face a situation where that fine is increased if they refuse to pay it immediately and that the money is eventually secured through an attachment order on capital or income. This would save the State money, give our courts real teeth, and maybe even deter offenders.