监狱改革基金会-北爱尔兰长期监禁人口：一份范围界定文件（英）

The long-term prison population in Northern Ireland: a scoping document Dr Marianne Doherty The Prison Reform Trust (PRT) PRT is an independent UK charity working to create a just, humane and effective penal system. It was founded in 1981 to inform and influence public debate on prison conditions and the treatment of prisoners, amidst concerns about a projected prison population of 48,000 by 1984. With the prison population in England and Wales approaching 88,000 and projected to rise to at least 95,700 by 2029, PRT remains as important to civic society today as it was over 40 years ago. PRT is one of the few organisations willing and equipped to hold the state to account for its treatment of vulnerable people in prison. PRT’s reputation, built over four decades of knowledgeable, reliable analysis and presentation of the facts, gives the organisation influence behind the scenes that few organisations can match. PRT’s main objectives are: • Reducing unnecessary imprisonment and promoting community solutions to crime. • Improving treatment and conditions for prisoners and their families. • Promoting equality and human rights in the justice system. PRT does this by inquiring into the workings of the system, informing prisoners, staff and the wider public, and by influencing Parliament, government and officials towards reform. Whilst often working alongside the prison service and maintaining close links with government departments including the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), His Majesty’s Treasury (HMT), and the Home Office, to retain its independence, PRT does not seek or accept government funding. The structure and rigour of programmes are agreed with the trusts and foundations that fund PRT’s work. Acknowledgements I am grateful to the National Lottery Community Fund which supports the Building Futures programme, PRT staff, and the Building Futures team. Particular thanks to Dr David Maguire, Claudia Vince, Vicki Kerr, Emily Evison, and Alex Hewson for their support and input throughout. Thanks too, to Emma Roche for her work on earlier drafts, and Dr Russell Orr, Jessica Ritchie and Emily Dunham for their helpful comments. Contents Section 1: Introduction 2 The Prison Reform Trust (PRT) Building Futures programme 2 This scoping document 2 Northern Ireland prisons in context 2 Section 2: Governing sentencing laws and sentence types in Northern Ireland 4 Section 3: Contextualising the prison population 5 Characteristics of the sentenced prison population 5 Characteristics of the overall prison population 7 Deaths in custody 7 Long-term prisoner progression 7 Section 4: Parole and recall processes 10 The stages of the parole process 10 Parole outcomes 10 Statistics on parole 11 Recall process 11 Personal and social circumstances leading to recall decisions 12 Section 5: Resettlement pathways for lifers 14 Supporting prisoner needs in Northern Ireland 15 The impact of the legacy of the past 17 Conclusion 18 Glossary 19 References 21 Legislation 21 Casel