Reforming justice
More “smart and dynamic reform” is needed to improve services for the public, according to Justice Minister Alan Shatter. Meadhbh Monahan reports.
Prison refurbishments, providing alternatives to custody, closing garda stations and court reforms are underway in order to ensure that services are “more customer-focused, leaner, better integrated and delivering value for money.”
Alan Shatter addressed an eolas justice seminar in June, impressing on delegates the need for all justice sector bodies “to challenge assumptions and ask harder questions of ourselves and our colleagues.” He stipulated that “it is no longer acceptable to assume that funding for any given programme is synonymous with maintaining the quality or effectiveness of that service.” Instead, “we must assess the extent to which each programme still delivers what it was established to do, and whether the same outcomes could be achieved more efficiently through any other means.”
The Minister intends to publish a white paper on crime later this year which will incorporate a national anti-crime strategy. It will also pull together all the strands of the criminal justice system aimed at tackling crime and will be heavily focused on improving efficiency and saving money.
The largest section of the Justice budget is spent on An Garda Síochána, which is “the most visible point of contact for members of the public with the justice system.” Ongoing reform includes an all-encompassing review of the force. The Minister stressed the importance of joint policing committees, saying they “must be maintained, developed and supported, now more than ever.”
On court reform, the Minister commented: “Due process is a necessary part of every criminal trial but unwarranted delay generates cost for all concerned.” The working group on efficiency measures in the circuit and district court is working to eradicate unnecessary delays and costs.
Improving standards in prisons (some of which are ageing and over-crowded) is essential, the Minister told delegates. “While the punishment of offenders is an essential part of the criminal justice system, our prisons are not intended to be mere warehouses for criminals and I want to see an increased emphasis on rehabilitation,” he claimed. A strategic review of all aspects of penal policy will be announced “shortly.” It will examine crime prevention, sentencing policies, alternatives to custody, prison accommodation and regimes, support for rehabilitation and re-integration, and the position of female prisoners and juveniles.
Declining budgets (see table) require justice sector bodies to work together to create “system-wide approaches” that will see agencies “harnessing our resources in a smart and dynamic way.”
Individuals may interact with different parts of the criminal justice system at different points in time, therefore, “the outcomes for society and for the individual are greatly dependent on how each part of the system interacts with the other.”
Justice group of votes
Current €m
|
Capital €m
|
Total €m
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2011
|
2012
|
2011
|
2012
|
2011
|
2012
|
|
Courts
|
48
|
46
|
11
|
8.0
|
59
|
54.0
|
Garda
|
1,382
|
1,305
|
30
|
20.4
|
1,412
|
1325.4
|
Justice & equality
|
325
|
344
|
5
|
3.2
|
328
|
347.2*
|
Prisons
|
295
|
294
|
34
|
24
|
329
|
318.0
|
Total
|
2,050 | 1,989 | 80 | 55.6 |
2,128
|
2,044.61
|
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An Garda Síochána • New roster system • Station closures • Review of the force • Garda Reserve |
Courts Service • Task force on cost reductions on criminal legal aid • Working group on efficiency measures in the circuit and district court • Reductions in criminal legal aid fees • Legal Services Regulation Bill |
---|---|
Prisons
• Pilot community return project • Expand the role of the Inspector of Prisons • Ending the detention of children in St Patrick’s Institution • Alternatives to custody • Inter-departmental group on mental health and the criminal justice system • Victim support |