The Sentencing of Women and the Impact of Policies

This chapter focuses on the Irish sentencing system and its impact on women. It reveals how the absence of structured guidelines, particularly in lower courts, and a strong reliance on judicial discretion have led to unintended negative consequences for female offenders. Although the government’s diversion policies aimed to reduce the prison population, recent gender-disaggregated data shows an increase in women receiving STPS, despite an overall decline in STPS recipients. This paradox highlights a critical flaw in policy implementation, resulting in inconsistent and often unsuitable sentencing practices for women. This trend remained obscured as the Irish Prison Service previously published combined figures for male and female STPS recipients in its Annual Reports.