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Number 11 of 1970
PRISONS ACT, 1970
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
Acts Referred to | |
1960, No. 27 | |
Criminal Justice Administration Act, 1914 | 1914, c. 58 |
Prevention of Crime Act, 1908 | 1908, c. 59 |
Number 11 of 1970
PRISONS ACT, 1970
Definitions.
1.—In this Act—
“the Minister” means the Minister for Justice;
“Saint Patrick's Institution” has the same meaning as in the Criminal Justice Act, 1960.
Provision of places of detention other than prisons.
2.—The Minister may, for the purpose of promoting the rehabilitation of offenders, provide places other than prisons for the detention of persons who have been sentenced to penal servitude or imprisonment or to detention in Saint Patrick's Institution.
Regulations in relation to places provided under this Act and persons detained therein.
3.—(1) (a) The Minister may, by regulations, specify by reference to age and sex the classes of persons who may be detained in a place provided under section 2 of this Act.
(b) A person who is not of a class standing so specified in relation to a particular place shall not be detained in that place.
(2) The Minister may make regulations for the rule and management of places provided under section 2 of this Act and the classification, treatment, employment and control of persons detained therein.
(3) Regulations made under this section shall be laid before each House of the Oireachtas as soon as may be after they are made and, if a resolution annulling the regulations is passed by either such House within the next twenty-one days on which that House has sat after the regulations are laid before it, the regulations shall be annulled accordingly, but without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done thereunder.
Application of enactments relating to prisons.
4.—The Prisons Acts, 1826 to 1956, the Prisons (Visiting Committees) Act, 1925, and any other enactments relating to prisons, to Saint Patrick's Institution or to persons serving sentences in prisons or that Institution shall, subject to the provisions of this Act, apply in relation to a place provided under section 2 of this Act as if it were a prison or that Institution, as the case may be, and persons detained in such a place shall be deemed to be serving sentences of penal servitude or imprisonment or detention in that Institution, as the case may be, but section 17 (3) of the Criminal Justice Administration Act, 1914, in so far as it provides for the committal of prisoners, shall not apply in relation to such a place.
Power of Minister to direct removal of persons to and from places provided under this Act.
5.—(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act but without prejudice to the generality of section 4 of this Act, the Minister may direct—
(a) the transfer of a prisoner—
(i) from a prison to a place provided under section 2 of this Act, and
(ii) from such a place to a prison, to Saint Patrick's Institution, or to another such place,
to serve the whole or any part of the unexpired residue of his sentence,
(b) the transfer of a person who has been sentenced to detention in Saint Patrick's Institution—
(i) from that Institution to such a place, and
(ii) from that place to that Institution or to another such place,
to serve the whole or any part of the unexpired residue of his sentence.
(2) Section 3 of the Prevention of Crime Act, 1908, shall not apply in relation to a person detained in a place provided under section 2 of this Act.
Amendment of Criminal Justice Act, 1960, and Prevention of Crime Act, 1908.
6.—(1) This section shall come into operation on such day as the Minister may appoint by order.
(2) The Criminal Justice Act, 1960, is hereby amended in respect of persons remanded or committed in custody or sentenced after the commencement of this Act—
(a) by the substitution in section 9 (1), in so far as it relates to the remand or committal in custody of persons to Saint Patrick's Institution, of “nineteen” for “twenty-one”, and
(b) by the substitution in section 13 (1) of “nineteen” for “twenty-one”.
(3) Section 1 of the Prevention of Crime Act, 1908, is hereby amended, in respect of persons sentenced after the commencement of this Act—
(a) by the substitution of “nineteen” for “twenty-one” in subsection (1) (a), and
(b) by the deletion of subsection (2).
(4) Section 3 of the said Prevention of Crime Act, 1908, is hereby amended by the substitution of “not more than twenty-one years of age” for “within the limits of age within which persons may be detained in a Borstal Institution”.
Power of Minister to direct transfer of detainees from Saint Patrick's Institution to prison to relieve overcrowding.
7.—(1) (a) This section shall come into and be in operation for such period as the Minister may specify by order from time to time, after consultation with the Visiting Committee to Saint Patrick's Institution, and shall cease to be in operation upon the expiration of any such period,
(b) The Minister may by order, after consultation with the visiting Committee to Saint Patrick's Institution, amend or revoke an order under this subsection.
(2) Whenever the Minister is of opinion that it is necessary to do so for the purpose of relieving overcrowding in Saint Patrick's Institution, he may direct the transfer to prison of such number of persons serving sentences in that Institution (not being persons under the age of seventeen years) whose transfer is, in his opinion, necessary for that purpose, and shall commute the unexpired residue of the term of detention of each such person to such term of imprisonment (not exceeding such residue) as he may determine.
(3) Section 3 of the Prevention of Crime Act, 1908, shall apply in relation to a person transferred to prison under subsection (2) of this section as if the person had originally been sentenced to imprisonment and not to detention in Saint Patrick's Institution.
Expenses.
8.—The expenses incurred by the Minister in the administration of this Act shall, to such extent as may be sanctioned by the Minister for Finance, be paid out of moneys provided by the Oireachtas.
Short title, collective citation and construction.
9.—(1) This Act may be cited as the Prisons Act, 1970.
(2) The Prisons Acts, 1826 to 1956, the Prisons (Visiting Committees) Act, 1925, and this Act may be cited together as the Prisons Acts, 1826 to 1970, and shall be construed as one.
Uimhir 11 de 1970
ACHT NA bPRÍOSÚN, 1970
[An tiontú oifigiúil.]
Mínithe.
1.—San Acht seo—
ciallaíonn “an tAire” an tAire Dlí agus Cirt;
tá an bhrí chéanna le “Foras Naomh Pádraig” atá leis san Acht um Dhlínse Choiriúil, 1960.
Aiteanna coinneála seachas príosúin a sholáthar.
2.—Féadfaidh an tAire, d'fhonn athinmheachan ciontóirí a chur ar aghaidh, áiteanna seachas príosúin a sholáthar chun daoine a choinneáil a bhfuil pianbhreith phianseirbhíse nó príosúnachta nó coinneáil i bhForas Naomh Pádraig curtha orthu.
Rialacháin i dtaobh áiteanna a sholáthrófar faoin Acht seo agus daoine a bheidh ar coinneáil iontu.
3.—(1) (a) Féadfaidh an tAire, le rialacháin, na haicmí daoine a fhéadfar a choinneáil in áit a sholáthrófar faoi alt 2 den Acht seo a shonrú faoi threoir aoise agus gnéis.
(b) Ní dhéanfar duine nach d'aicme a bheidh sonraithe amhlaidh maidir le háit áirithe a choinneáil san áit sin.
(2) Féadfaidh an tAire rialacháin a dhéanamh le háiteanna a sholáthrófar faoi alt 2 den Acht seo a rialú agus a bhainistí agus le daoine a bheidh ar coinneáil sna háiteanna sin a aicmiú, a chóireáil, a fhostú agus a rialáil.
(3) Aon rialacháin a dhéanfar faoin alt seo leagfar iad faoi bhráid gach Tí den Oireachtas a luaithe is féidir é tar éis a ndéanta agus má dhéanann ceachtar Teach acu sin, laistigh den lá is fiche a shuífidh an Teach sin tar éis na rialacháin a leagan faoina bhráid, rún a rith ag neamhniú na rialachán, beidh na rialacháin ar neamhní dá réir sin ach sin gan dochar do bhailíocht aon ní a rinneadh roimhe sin faoi na rialacháin sin.
Achtacháin a chur chun feidhme maidir le príosúin.
1914, c. 58.
4.—Faoi réir forálacha an Achta seo, beidh ag Achtanna na bPríosún, 1826 go 1956, ag Acht na bPríosún (Coistí Cuairte), 1925, agus ag aon achtacháin eile a bhaineann le príosúin, le Foras Naomh Pádraig nó le daoine atá ag fulaingt pianbhreithe i bpríosúin nó san Fhoras sin feidhm, maidir le háit a soláthraíodh faoi alt 2 den Acht seo ionann is dá mba phríosún nó an Foras sin é, de réir mar a bheidh, agus measfar daoine a bheidh ar coinneáil in áit den sórt sin a bheith ag fulaingt pianbhreithe pianseirbhíse nó príosúnachta nó coinneála san Fhoras sin, de réir mar a bheidh, ach ní bheidh feidhm maidir le háit den sórt sin ag alt 17 (3) den Criminal Justice Administration Act, 1914, a mhéid go bhfuil socrú ann chun príosúnaigh a chimiú.
Cumhacht an Aire chun a ordú daoine a aistriú ó áiteanna agus go dtí áiteanna a soláthraíodh faoin Acht seo.
1908, c. 59.
5.—(1) Faoi réir forálacha an Achta seo ach gan dochar do ghinearáltacht alt 4 den Acht seo, féadfaidh an tAire a ordú—
(a) príosúnach a aistriú—
(i) ó phríosún go dtí áit a soláthraíodh faoi alt 2 den Acht seo, agus
(ii) ó áit den sórt sin go dtí príosún, go dtí Foras Naomh Pádraig, nó go dtí áit eile den sórt sin,
chun a phianbhreith go léir nó aon chuid den mhéid di a bheidh gan chaitheamh a fhulaingt,
(b) duine ar cuireadh pianbhreith choinneála i bhForas Naomh Pádraig air a aistriú—
(i) ón bhForas sin go dtí áit den sórt sin, agus
(ii) ón áit sin go dtí an Foras sin nó go dtí áit eile den sórt sin,
chun a phianbhreith go léir nó aon chuid den mhéid di a bheidh gan chaitheamh a fhulaingt.
(2) Ní bheidh feidhm ag alt 3 den Prevention of Crime Act, 1908, maidir le duine a bheidh ar coinneáil in áit a soláthraíodh faoi alt 2 den Acht seo.
Leasú ar an Acht um Dhlínse Choiriúil, 1960, agus ar an Prevention of Crime Act, 1908.
6.—(1) Tiocfaidh an t-alt seo i ngníomh cibé lá a cheapfaidh an tAire le hordú.
(2) Leasaítear leis seo an tAcht um Dhlínse Choiriúil, 1960, maidir le daoine a athchuirfear nó a chimeofar i gcoimeád nó a dtabharfar pianbhreith orthu tar éis tosach feidhme an Achta seo—
(a) trí “naoi mbliana déag” a chur in ionad “bliain is fiche” in alt 9 (1) a mhéid a bhaineann sé le daoine a athchur nó a chimiú i gcoimeád chun Foras Naomh Pádraig, agus
(b) trí “naoi mbliana déag” a chur in ionad “bliain is fiche” in alt 13 (1).
(3) Leasaítear leis seo alt 1 den Prevention of Crime Act, 1908, maidir le daoine a gcuirfear pianbhreith orthu tar éis tosach feidhme an Achta seo—
(a) trí “nineteen” a chur in ionad “twenty-one” i bhfo-alt (1) (a), agus
(b) trí fho-alt (2) a scriosadh.
(4) Leasaítear leis seo alt 3 den Prevention of Crime Act, 1908, a dúradh trí “not more than twenty-one years of age” a chur in ionad “within the limits of age within which persons may be detained in a Borstal Institution”.
Cumhachte an Aire a ordú daoine ar coinneáil a aistriú as Foras Naomh Pádraig go dtí príosún d'fhonn plódú a mhaolú.
7.—(1) (a) Tiocfaidh an t-alt seo i ngníomh agus beidh sé i ngníomh ar feadh cibé tréimhse a shonróidh an tAire ó am go ham le hordú, tar éis dul i gcomhairle le Coiste Cuairte Fhoras Naomh Pádraig, agus scoirfidh sé de bheith i ngníomh ar éag d'aon tréimhse den sórt sin.
(b) Féadfaidh an tAire le hordú, tar éis dul i gcomhairle le Coiste Cuairte Fhoras Naomh Pádraig, ordú faoin bhfo-alt seo a leasú nó a chúlghairm.
(2) Aon uair a mheasfaidh an tAire gur gá sin a dhéanamh d'fhonn plódú i bhForas Naomh Pádraig a mhaolú, féadfaidh sé a ordú cibé líon daoine a bheidh ag fulaingt pianbhreithe san Fhoras sin (nach daoine faoi bhun seacht mbliana déag d'aois) a aistriú go dtí príosún ar gá, dar leis, iad a aistriú lena aghaidh sin, agus iomalartóidh sé iarmhar neamhchaite théarma coinneála gach duine den sórt sin go dtí cibé téarma príosúnachta (nach faide ná an t-iarmhar sin) a chinnfidh sé.
(3) Beidh feidhm ag alt 3 den Prevention of Crime Act, 1908, maidir le duine a aistreofar go dtí príosún faoi fho-alt (2) den alt seo ionann is dá mba phianbhreith phríosúnachta agus nár phianbhreith choinneála i bhForas Naomh Pádraig a tugadh i gcéaduair ar an duine.
Caiteachais.
8.—Déanfar na caiteachais a thabhóidh an tAire ag riaradh an Achta seo a íoc, a mhéid a cheadóidh an tAire Airgeadais, as airgead a sholáthróidh an tOireachtas.
Gearrteideal, comhlua agus forléiriú.
9.—(1) Féadfar Acht na bPríosún, 1970, a ghairm den Acht seo.
(2) Féadfar Achtanna na bPríosún, 1826 go 1970, a ghairm d'Achtanna na bPríosún, 1826 go 1956, d'Acht na bPríosún (Coistí Cuairte), 1925, agus den Acht seo le chéile agus forléireofar iad mar aon ní amháin.