DIARY NOTICE: 'The Vicious Circle of Social Exclusion and Crime'

12th January 2012

Irish Penal Reform Trust & Community Platform

“The Vicious Circle of Social Exclusion and Crime: Ireland’s Disproportionate Punishment of the Poor”

Seminar and Launch

On Thursday, 2nd February 2012 from 3.30-5.30pm in the Carmelite Community Centre, 56 Aungier Street, Dublin 2, the Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) and the Community Platform will co-host a seminar examining the impact of increasing levels of social exclusion on crime, and how the problem of crime disproportionately impacts on marginalised communities. A new IPRT Position Paper, The Vicious Circle of Social Exclusion and Crime: Ireland’s Disproportionate Punishment of the Poor, will be launched at the seminar.

Speakers include:

• John Lonergan - former Governor of Mountjoy Prison and Patron of IPRT
• Kathleen Lynch - Professor of Equality Studies, School of Social Justice, University College Dublin
• Tony Gogheghan - Chief Executive Officer, Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI)
• Orla O’Connor - Head of Policy, National Women's Council of Ireland (NWCI)
• Brid O’Brien - Head of Policy and Media, Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed (INOU)

The event and publication form part of the IPRT ‘Shifting Focus’ campaign. See: www.iprt.ie/shifting-focus

For all media enquiries, or to arrange an interview with speakers, please contact:

Fíona Ní Chinnéide, Communications Officer, Irish Penal Reform Trust

T: + 353 1 874 1400; M: +353 87 181 2990

NOTES:

1. This seminar takes place Thursday 2nd Feb, 2012 from 330-530pm in the Carmelite Community Centre, 56 Aungier St, Dublin 2. To reserve a place, please contact tel: 01-8741400 or email info@iprt.ie or sign up online.
2. A new IPRT Position Paper, The Vicious Circle of Social Exclusion and Crime: Ireland’s Disproportionate Punishment of the Poor, will be launched at the event. the Position Paper will be available here.
3. The IPRT ‘Shifting Focus’ campaign seeks to demonstrate to policy-makers that a shift in resources from criminal justice to social justice - with emphasis on prevention and early intervention rather than punishment - makes social and economic sense. This event and publication form part of the campaign, which was launched in September 2010 with a research paper, position paper and conference. More information here.
4. Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) is Ireland's leading non-governmental organisation campaigning for the rights of everyone in prison and the progressive reform of Irish penal policy, with prison as a last resort.
5. Founded in 1996, the Community Platform acts as a collective critical voice for equality, rights and anti-poverty interests at a national level. The mission of the Community Platform is to contribute to the achievement of a better Irish society and economy through working innovatively to develop and promote a shared analysis, policies and action based on the values of social solidarity, justice and equality.