CONVICTED CRIMINALS sent to jail are to have their prison sentences significantly shortened in a an attempt to encourage them to undergo rehabilitation in prison.
The new scheme will see remission increased to one-third of a prisoner's sentence, The Irish Timeshas learned.
Until now prisoners have been entitled to one-quarter of their sentences off for good behaviour.
A prisoner sentenced to 12 years would serve one year less in prison - down from nine years to eight under the new scheme.
The first applications from prisoners for shortened sentences are currently being considered by Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan.
Prisoners, including drug dealers and sex offenders, will be eligible for the more generous remission period if they agree to complete any treatment, training or educational course that increases their chances of staying crime-free on release.
Prisoners who engage in a meaningful way with a prison chaplain, psychologist or the probation service will also be eligible to apply for the extended remission.
The scheme will be welcomed by many experts in the criminal justice field who have long called for measures that would more effectively tackle repeat offending.
However, Opposition parties are likely to accuse the Government of taking a weakened position on punishing serious crime at a time when the murder rate, gun crime and drug-dealing are all increasing.
The early release of inmates will be at the discretion of Mr Lenihan, who has confirmed that prisoners currently serving sentences for drug-dealing will be eligible.
In response to queries from The Irish Times, the Department of Justice confirmed the new remission system is already in place, with a number of applications under consideration.
A spokesman for Mr Lenihan said while inmates were guaranteed their 25 per cent remission, the granting of the extended remission would not be guaranteed and would be at the discretion of the Minister.
The Minister must be satisfied "beyond any doubt" that the applicant prisoner has made genuine efforts to address their criminal behaviour.
Prisoners will be eligible if they engage in "an authorised structured activity and where, as a result, the prisoner is less likely to reoffend and will be better able to reintegrate into the community".
The department defined such structured activities as: education; work training, such as working in the prison kitchen or laundry; engagement with the probation service; engagement with prison chaplains; engagement with prison psychologists; drug treatment; sex offenders' programme.
Some categories of inmates will be excluded from the scheme. These include life-sentence prisoners, those convicted for debtor offences or contempt of court, those held on remand warrants or those serving one month or less.
Any prisoner whose application is rejected will have the reasons for that rejection explained.
