Madam, - If, as reported in your edition of September 30th, one-fifth of prison committals now consist of non-nationals, we are witnessing one of the more dramatic social changes in recent history.
The combined number of Africans and Asians committed to prison last year (703) almost equalled the average daily population (749) of all Irish prisons in 1970.
In an academic article published a year or two ago, I predicted that race would soon become a significant issue in the Irish criminal justice system, but I never imagined that the number of non-national prisoners would climb so high and so fast. Granted, the latest figures may not be a very reliable guide if they refer to committals as opposed to individual prisoners, but either way they give cause for concern.
It may well be that non-nationals commit more serious crimes than other population groups; and, if so, the prison figures are unobjectionable. This, however, is unlikely to be the entire or even the main explanation.
We are now, unfortunately, seeing the emergence of a trend which has long existed in other Western countries, and most egregiously in the United States, whereby the representation of racial minorities in prisons greatly exceeds their representation in the population at large.
It is imperative that a serious study be undertaken of race and the criminal justice system, and that effective data systems should be put in place to monitor the outcome of key decisions, especially in relation to bail and sentence, as they affect different racial groups.
Are members of racial minorities less likely to be given bail because of inability to get the necessary sureties? Is prison being preferred to community-based measures because members of racial minorities have fewer permanent ties within the community?
These issues need to be investigated and addressed urgently. Funding the probation and welfare service tends to attract less political popularity than funding prisons, but an effective and well-resourced probation system is essential if Ireland is to fulfil its international obligations in respect of racial equality. - Yours, etc.,
TOM O'MALLEY, Faculty of Law, NUI, Galway.