Penal Reform Trust criticises electronic tagging plans
The Irish Penal Reform Trust has criticised Justice Minister Michael McDowell's plans to introduce an electronic tagging system for certain offenders as an alternative to custodial sentences.
Reports this morning said Mr McDowell would seek Cabinet approval for the plan "shortly", with legislation expected to be framed by Easter at the latest.
The reports said tagging could be initially introduced on a trial basis for people convicted of a first offence and for people found guilty of public order breaches.
However, IPRT executive director Rick Lines said such people wouldn't normally receive a prison sentence anyway, so tagging would do little to reduce prison overcrowding.
"There's no evidence that electronic tagging actually accomplishes that goal," he said.
"When you look internationally at electronic tagging programmes, the vast majority of people who are subjected to electronic tagging are very, very low-risk offenders and by and large people who would not have been given a custodial sentence to begin with."
