Polling shows most favour alternatives to prison to tackle overcrowding crisis

13th November 2024

A new public opinion poll released today (Wednesday, 13 November 2024) shows that a majority of voters in Ireland across the largest political parties are open to reforms within the criminal justice system that would tackle overcrowding through alternatives to imprisonment, specifically in the case of people who commit non-violent offences. This is according to new polling data released today by the Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT), which shows widespread support for progressive change.

The RED C poll commissioned by the Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) interviewed a nationally representative sample of 1,006 adults at the start of October 2024 to gauge public opinion on a range of issues related to prison and the criminal justice system.

Key findings show that 81% of adults believe it is important for the next government to prioritise alternatives to imprisonment in cases of non-violent offences, with broad support across all major political party voters. Only 26% of respondents view prison as an effective tool for addressing non-violent crime, underlining a strong appetite for more innovative approaches, such as specialist courts and community service.

The poll also reveals that by wide margins, voters of the main political parties question the use of prisons as the best way to deal with crime. When asked about how they would spend an annual budget of €10 million to best tackle crime, over one in three would prioritise person-centred interventions such as additional drug treatment places, extra youth workers, and more consultant psychologists. Fewer than one in 10 see additional prison spaces as a priority.

In general, people are sceptical about the merits of expanding prison capacity. A significant 68% of respondents feel that expanding prison capacity will not reduce crime. Instead, they believe tackling the underlying causes of crime is more effective. The poll reveals that when given a choice of how to deal with people who commit non-violent offences, respondents preferred to divert them away from prison, with the net top three choices being to refer people with underlying issues to specialist courts for drugs, sentencing people to community service or for the person who committed the offence to provide reparation to the victims.

Responding to the public opinion polling results, IPRT Executive Director, Saoirse Brady said:

“In the coming weeks we expect to hear more of the same political rhetoric that the next government must be harder on crime. That is why we commissioned this poll in advance of the General Election to take the public temperature and find out what people on the ground really think when it comes to the use of prison and the criminal justice system”.

 “Clearly this is not a black and white issue – people recognise the complexities and underlying causes that result in many people coming into conflict with the law and often leading to imprisonment. IPRT is extremely encouraged to see positive appetite for change with four in five people believing it's important to focus on alternatives to prison for people who commit non-violent offences in the next programme for government. Only one out of four believes prison is effective at reducing non-violent crime.”

Ms Brady continued:

“The results demonstrate that not only do people understand the social issues that may lead some people to offend in the first place including mental health challenges, trauma, addiction, the cost in the rise of living and homelessness for example, but they also indicate an underlying sense of compassion. There was a clear awareness of current levels of prison overcrowding being poor (48%) and most people do not consider prison to be a magic bullet to stop offending. Many realise that prison is a damaging experience given that 51% of those polled thought that people left prison worse than when they entered.

“An overwhelming majority also thought that people released into homelessness were more likely to reoffend. Unfortunately given the experience in other places, we suspect this to be true here as well. During a housing crisis and in the absence of stable accommodation and appropriate health and social supports, it is very challenging to move on with your life after prison”.

“Two thirds believe that crime should be tackled at its root causes instead of expanding prisons. In fact, roughly two thirds of those polled felt that people with mental health challenges or addiction difficulties should receive treatment in a dedicated facility instead of being sent to prison. This common-sense approach would not only result in improved outcomes for individuals and their families but would also save the taxpayer millions of euros each year and ultimately result in safer communities in the longer-run given what we know to be effective in preventing reoffending.

She concluded by stating:

“IPRT hopes that these findings will inform a robust debate over the coming weeks and put to bed a lot of the assumptions about the general public’s views of the penal system. Finally, we hope that this new information will empower the incoming government to shift its thinking, make politically brave decisions and invest in meaningful solutions that will result in both a more effective and humane penal system as well as ending cycles of disadvantage and harm faced by so many in the criminal justice system”.

ENDS
 

For all media enquiries, contact IPRT Communications Officer, Michelle Byrne, on communications@iprt.ie or 086 0433060.

IPRT Executive Director, Saoirse Brady, is available for further comment.

NOTES FOR EDITOR:

The poll found that:

• 81% believe it's important to focus on alternatives to prison for non-violent offenders in the next programme for the government. Support is consistently high across voters of the main political parties and independents. Excluding those who answered ‘Don’t know’, this rises to 86%.
• Most feel that offenders with either mental health (71%) or addiction difficulties (63%) should receive treatment in a dedicated facility instead of being sent to prison. This strategy in addition to community service, are the most favoured approaches to tackle overcrowding in Irish prisons.
• 68% believe building prison spaces is not the solution to prison overcrowding and that crime should be tackled at its root, while only 32% believe that crime levels would reduce as a result of increased prison spaces.
• When given options as to what measures should be implemented to tackle crime, 41% choose additional Gardaí over other measures, followed by drug treatment places (21%) and youth services (10%).
• 51% of people think that people come out of prison worse than they went in.

• About the polling: This research was conducted using RED C’s online omnibus, the RED Line. Through an online panel of over 45,000 members, RED Line reaches a representative sample of the adult population 18+ across Ireland. Quota controls are used to ensure a nationally representative sample of ROI adults aged 18+, with interlocking quotas to provide extra confidence in sample profile. Data was weighted across gender, age, region and social class so as to ensure a nationally representative sample based on latest CSO projections. Data was further weighted on past vote behaviour.  A nationally representative sample of n=1,006 adults aged 18+ was completed. Fieldwork took place from the 3rd – 9th October 2024.
• Public opinion polling results data is available here and attached below.
• IPRT last ran a public opinion poll in 2007.

• Prison Figures:
• • Today, Tuesday 12 November 2024, there are 5,097 people in prison custody, equating to the prison estate being at 113% capacity.
  • Last overall capacity hit 114% for the first time with 5,124 people in custody on 6 November with Limerick Women’s Prison at 159% capacity. The most recent figures can be found here.

Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) is Ireland's leading non-governmental organisation campaigning for the rights of everyone in prison and the progressive reform of Irish penal policy.

www.iprt.ie | @iprt