8th August 2012
In response to the Irish Prison Service Annual Report 2011, IPRT have expressed concern in relation to the increasing number of women being sent to prison and the rising numbers of people being imprisoned for fine default. The Irish Independent ('Courts imprisoned 17,318 people' 7th Aug 2012) included reaction from IPRT Executive Director, Liam Herrick: "Given that the number of prisoners had increased by 30% over the preceding three years, the fact that 2011 saw static prison growth is encouraging. At the same time there remain some worrying trends such as the increase in female prisoners, the persistent use of prison for fine default and the ageing of the prison population. We also cannot afford to be complacent."
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Respect for rights in the penal system with prison as a last resort.