Parole Board: Murderers must serve lengthy sentences
A strong message must be sent out that criminals convicted of murder will serve lengthy prison sentences, it was warned today.
After the recent spate of murders, Gordon Holmes, chairman of the Parole Board, warned the seriousness of the crime must be reflected by the length of time murderers spend behind bars.
“So common have they become that human life has clearly been cheapened,” Mr Holmes said.
“While each case must be carefully considered on its own merits nonetheless a message must go out to the public that persons who are convicted by a jury of the crime of murder will serve a very long sentence indeed.”
Mr Holmes said it was disappointing that the public seemed to believe that even in murder cases early release from prison was possible.
“The gun and the knife are the prime weapons of much human misery,” he said, warning restrictive legislation on the possession of those lethal objects was essential.
Minister for Justice Michael McDowell warned murder was the gravest crime and it would be treated as such.
Mr McDowell said: “While each and every case will be dealt with on its individual merits each and every person convicted of murder must understand that a very lengthy jail sentence running well into double figures is the outcome.”
Mr Holmes said the prison service was dismayed by the lack of sufficient psychologists available to work with prisoners.
However, Mr McDowell said seven additional psychologists were recruited to improve services at Mountjoy Prison, the Dóchas Centre, St Patrick’s Institution, Cloverhill, Midlands, Arbour Hill and Cork Prisons.
The Minister added: “It is planned to hold another recruitment competition for clinical, forensic and counselling psychologists later this year.”
At the launch of the board’s annual report for 2004, Mr Homes said the misuse of drugs was a major problem in the commission of offences and the rehabilitation of prisoners.
“It is even more depressing to see the occasional case where prisoners have not taken drugs for a long period and then whilst in prison succumb,” he said.
He warned the methods used to smuggle drugs into prisons were so sophisticated severe draconian measures may be required to put a stop to it.
Mr Holmes said the board frequently deals with horrible and ghastly crimes committed to fund a person's drug habit.
Mr McDowell said the introduction of mandatory drug testing, under the draft new Prison Rules and a Drugs Policy for the Irish Prison Service due to come into force in November, would play an important role in supporting future efforts to tackle drug supply and demand reduction in prisons.
“The policy will facilitate consistent regulation and operational structure in pursuing both supply-and-demand reduction, and will involve the implementation of further stringent measures to prevent drugs from getting into prisons,” he said.
During 2004 just 43 cases were referred to the Parole Board for review - compared to 72 in 2003.
Around 33 prisoners accepted an invitation to appear last year. Of those, 12, had been convicted of murder, four of manslaughter and eight were convicted of sex offences.
The report showed 12 people serving life sentences came before the board. Five people convicted of robbery and two people on drug offences were given a parole hearing.
The Minister for Justice accepted 40 of the parole board’s decisions in full and four were rejected.
Of the prisoners interviewed, eight were from the Midlands Prison, seven were from Wheatfield Prison.
No prisoners from the Curragh Place of Detention came before the board.
