Sir, - Mountjoy prison celebrates its sesquicentenary next month. Its longevity and bustle surely prove its ineffectiveness as an agent of deterrence or reform. In this context the Government's commitment to penal expansion is breathtaking. Increasing the number of men, women and children in captivity will not help us to realise the promise of a prosperous and fair society. - Yours etc.,
Dr Ian O'Donnell, Director, Irish Penal Reform Trust, Lower Dominick Street, Dublin 1.