Prison Policy

Sir, - Philip Casey (May 26th) is horrified that we continue to send beggars to prison under the 1847 Vagrancy Act

Sir, - Philip Casey (May 26th) is horrified that we continue to send beggars to prison under the 1847 Vagrancy Act. His letter touches a nerve at a time when smug self-congratulations are the order of the day.

Mr Casey might be even more shocked to learn that, according to the most recent published statistics, two out of every five prison sentences are handed down for the non-payment of fines.

At a time of unprecedented prosperity and falling crime it is difficult to understand the Government's determination to build more penal institutions to warehouse the poor. - Yours, etc., Dr Ian O'Donnell, Director, Irish Penal Reform Trust,

Lower Dominick Street, Dublin 1.