Prison terms 'wrong' punishment

Prison is not a suitable place for fine defaulters

People who fail to pay court fines in Northern Ireland should not be sent to jail according to a report from a County Antrim prison.

Almost 1,400 people were jailed in the province for failing to pay court penalties in the past year.

However, a report by the Board of Visitors at Maghaberry prison near Lisburn, suggests alternative methods should be found to punish those who refuse to pay.

"Fine defaulters account for an enormous amount of resource, time and energy and this is something which needs to be looked at," said board chairman Vilma Patterson.

People who fail to pay their fines in Northern Ireland should not be sent to prison

Maghaberry Prison
visitors board report

Of the 2,411 people sentenced by the courts between April 2001 and March this year, 1,380 were fine defaulters.

The majority were sent to Maghaberry jail to serve out terms of up to one week.

"This categorisation demands that all who are held there are subject to the same high security status, including those held for only a matter of days, such as fine defaulters, Ms Patterson said.

"The board is of the opinion that the sending of fine defaulters and immigration detainees to prison is not a proper use of resources of the prison service, and that alternative solutions should be sought.

'Alternatives'

"In particular, immigration detainees have a different set of needs which need to be addressed by those with particular skills and knowledge."

Mrs Patterson said the authorities should consider community service orders as one of the alternative methods to deal with the defaulters.

"There are a number of alternatives which could be researched," she said.

"The resources could be better used, funding other programmes to reduce re-offending.

"People who are in prison for only a matter of days do not benefit from prison programmes.

"Fine defaulters take up an enormous amount of resource, time and energy, but they are only in for a matter of days."