The Programme for Government 2020 contains a broad range of policies and proposals that represent a coherent approach to enhancing and sustaining a more just and safe society. Completion of this review and its approval by Government delivers on the specific Programme for Government commitment to review policy options for prison and penal reform.

Including twenty one actions, the Review of Policy Options for Prison and Penal Reform 2022-2024 identifies six priority actions, interventions that have been identified to reduce reoffending, support desistance from offending, avoid overcrowding in prisons, and reduce reliance on custodial sentences as the primary criminal sanction except where determined necessary and proportionate to the suffering of the victim, particularly in relation to serious crimes which may result in life sentences.

These six priorities are:
1. To consider the incorporation of prison as a sanction of last resort in statute, in relation to people who do not pose a risk of serious harm, to reduce reoffending and overcrowding in prisons. 
2. To develop and expand the range of community based sanctions including alternatives to imprisonment to reduce re-offending and overcrowding in prisons.
3. To take forward the implementation plan of the taskforce established to consider the mental health and addiction challenges of those imprisoned and primary care support on release.
4. To ensure that all criminal justice policy decisions are pre-assessed to determine, as far as possible, their impact across the criminal justice sector.
5. To establish a Penal Policy Consultative Council.
6. To introduce judicial discretion to set minimum tariffs for life sentences and examine the effectiveness of use of mandatory minimum sentences for certain crimes.

P.57 Health and Addiction
In the 2019 Drug and Alcohol Misuse among Adult Offenders on Probation Supervision in Ireland Study, 45% of females aged 25-34 years reported combined alcohol and drug misuse, a higher proportion than males in the same age cohort (35%). Addiction has been identified as a critical driver in female offending in Ireland. Addiction is a significant health problem and driver in offending behaviour in general. It does require co-ordinated multi-agency co-operation and intervention to increase health and well-being and to reduce offending and related harm in the community. There is also a need to ensure access to healthcare services in the community for people leaving prisons, including a medical card, as well as access to GP services, drug and alcohol services, and mental health services.

As part of the Probation Service’s commitments under the National Drug Strategy, Reducing Harm/Supporting Recovery, (2017-2025) the Probation Service identified a number of measures to support and develop probation practice in the area of substance misuse. This includes the on-going identification and delivery of evidence informed interventions and further up- skilling of staff, as well as promoting greater interagency co-operation to facilitate referral pathways. As part of this commitment, a research report: Informing and Supporting Change: Drug and Alcohol Misuse among People on Probation Supervision in Ireland (Rooney, 2021) was published in November 2021. The report makes a series of recommendations to enhance pathways and outcomes.

[P.27. Action 19 – Introduce a diversion approach for young adults of 18 to 24 years old, for certain offences, building on the experience of the Youth Diversion Programme, the adult caution and the Health Diversion Programme in relation to possession of drugs for personal use]