The Whitaker Committee Report 20 Years on 5
When it was published in The Report concluded it was In 2007, Ireland has over 1985, the Report of the “difficult to find convincing 3,000 people in prison, and if Committee of Inquiry into the proof that imprisonment current Government plans to Penal System – also known as operates as a major or build new super-prisons come the Whitaker Report – universal deterrent” to crime, to fruition, we will have a represented the most detailed and found incarceration a prison population nearly and thoughtful analysis of the poor crime prevention Irish prison system to date. three times that judged a strategy, noting that any such Over twenty years on, the sensible maximum by the effect is only “a temporary findings of the Whitaker Whitaker Committee. Committee remain vital for one since it lapses on the prisoner’s release”. Instead of decision-makers in Ireland. In this book, eighteen ever-growing prison contributors address the populations, the Committee The Committee challenged relevance of the Whitaker the cosy consensus among advised the expansion of non- Committee’s findings to the the press and politicians custodial forms of current debate on prisons and about the nature of prison, punishment, reparation and criminal justice in Ireland. and its role in the criminal restitution to victims and justice system. At a time other forms of community when Ireland was sanctions. Drawn from the ranks of experiencing unprecedented politics, academia, law, levels of crime, the Unfortunately, much of the human rights, the Committee – mindful of the Committee’s analysis fell community/voluntary sector costs and limitations of upon deaf ears, both in the and the Prison Service itself, incarceration – these voices urge pause for recommended capping the Government of the day and number of prison places at certainly of those reflection about Ireland’s 1,500.
[Show full text]