Sinn Fein not the Answer.

You know sometimes I have to wonder do Sinn Fein actually get the irony of their existence. Take this statement More prisons and bigger prisons not the answer — Ó Snodaigh.

Sinn Féin Justice spokesperson Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD said that ‘more prisons and bigger prisons is not the answer’. Suggesting Minister McDowell was posing as tough on crime rather than dealing with the problem,

So McDowell is posing as tough i.e. he is not really tough. Coming from a party who thinks that putting Black and Decker drills through teenagers knees because they did a bit of joy riding really does not say a lot on whether or not McDowell is tough on crime at all.

But to carry on he has more suggestions on prison reform.

Almost 60% of prison sentences in this state are for six months or less costing between €40,000 to €100,000 per prisoner for the period. The equivalent community service order, shown to have a positive impact on re-offending rates, for that period would cost approximately €1,500. Provision of proper educational and recreational facilities for prisoners, sorely missing in the Irish prison system, has also been shown to have a demonstrable negative impact on recidivism.

Now it might be easy to dismiss Sinn Fein on the issue of prison reform. But considering that they have the most members of any party that have spent time in prison they have the first hand experience of what happens on the inside. Indeed the fact that the above paragraph makes a lot of sense may mean that some of Aengus Ó Snodaigh colleagues who spent time in prison may have actually learned something during their time in prison. Proving that the educational provision is not as bad as they think it is.

But even though it makes sense the fact that they think robbing banks and shooting police is “unfortunate” makes it idiotic to consider Sinn Fein as a party to be considered on the issue of law and order.