Sir, - The opening of the new women's jail at Mountjoy is welcome and even more welcome is the reported philosophy of the governor of Mountjoy, JohnLonergan: rehabilitation of prisoners and care and respect for the dignity and rights of those in his care.
This stands in sharp contrast to the Irish penal system in general which is based on a philosophy that is punitive and retributive. It seeks to punish the offender but does little to heal the effects of the crime for either the victim or offender.
Prison should be a sanction of last resort. Instead it is used too frequently because judges have no other options. Instead of building more prisons, greater use needs to be made of non-custodial sentences and of victim-offender mediation processes whereby the well-being of the victim, the community and the offender is restored. Such restorative justice processes are working successfully in other countries, most notably in New Zealand.
Prison remains necessary for serious offenders: murderers, drug barons, and the tax-dodging elite. - Yours, etc.,
David Rose, Hazel Lane, Bryanstown, Co Louth.