Cathal BarryWe must “re-imagine” imprisonment
There is need for a ‘re-imagining’ of imprisonment so that it truly becomes the penalty of last resort, according to a newly launched publication from the Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice.
Re-imagining Imprisonment in Europe: Effects, Failure and the Future, published by The Liffey Press, stems from the proceedings of an international conference which was held in Dublin in September 2012.
Humane
It highlights the need to “re-imagine” the role of imprisonment in contemporary society, so that it truly becomes the penalty of last resort and, where its use is necessary, it operates in a humane and rehabilitative manner.
One of the contributors, Juliet Lyon, Director of the Prison Reform Trust in the UK, argues that “re-imagining imprisonment” must first of all reduce prison populations to the “unavoidable minimum”.
Other topics covered include: the imprisonment of women, education within the prison system, the role of the prison officer, and the balance between ‘retributive’ and ‘restorative’ justice.