The Justice Minister is considering innovative approaches to reduce prison overcrowding and tackle reoffending, including alternatives to custody and the introduction of problem-solving courts.
With the island’s prison currently operating at-capacity, Minister Jane Poole-Wilson highlighted the need for “meaningful justice” that balances punishment with rehabilitation.
She told a committee: “We have to ask ourselves, are we missing any tools? And if we are, how can we fix that?” she told a Tynwald committee.
Chief Officer Dan Davies revealed that 66 inmates are serving long-term sentences of four years or more, saying that the department is also considering “tagging disposals rather than custodial sentences”.
Sentencing
One proposal under discussion is problem-solving courts, which focus on addressing underlying issues such as addiction before sentencing.
Mrs Poole-Wilson said: “The proportion of the population in the prison who might have an addiction. Is there any benefit in US trialling a proposal like that, whereby you may have been convicted of a particular offence, but before you move to sentencing, there’s an opportunity to do some intervention work to see if we can change the offending behaviour in another way.
“So I think it’s a valid question.”
The department is also expanding support for released offenders, including secure accommodation at the bail hostel, which Mr Davies described as “far more successful than ever.”
Yet, with the hostel now full, he warned, “if we expand prison capacity, we must also expand post-release support.”
Consultation
The proposals form part of a broader criminal justice strategy review, expected to go out for public consultation this summer.
For now, the focus remains on finding practical, evidence-based solutions to ease pressure on the island’s justice system.
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