Minister says prison report food for thought

Damien O'Conner says report from Salvation Army on prison reform worth considering

24 February 2006
The Corrections Minister agrees there are more productive ways for some criminals to repay their debt to society than by being locked up.

Damien O'Connor is welcoming a report from the Salvation Army which is calling for a multi-political party agreement to reform prisons.

The group says the move would stop the issue of crime and punishment being a political football and would help get the prison population down. Mr O'Connor would like to see a one third reduction in prisoner numbers, as he believes locking up prisoners is not very productive. He says obviously society has to be protected from dangerous and violent criminals but some people could serve their sentences in better ways.

Mr O'Connor says the Salvation Army is often at the frontline of such issues and its report is definitely food for thought.

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