TOM HUMPHRIES WAS known as one of Ireland’s finest sports writers when he was accused of grooming and the defilement of a child.

He pleaded guilty to the charges and was ultimately sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison. Last week, he was released after 22 months. Following his release, it emerged he had not taken part in a rehabilitation programme offered to sex offenders.

Cases like the Tom Humphries case can be an opportunity to focus the national conversation on the more difficult aspects of the justice system.

It’s an incredibly complex policy area that is fraught with emotion – not just on the part of victims and their families. 

Humphries’ release also comes against a background of a number of vigilante attacks on other convicted sex offenders in Dublin.

So how does a country deal with all of the facts and emotions around such a topic? 

To explain to us what currently is done in Ireland with sex offenders after their release from prison, host Sinéad O’Carroll is joined in studio by TheJournal.ie reporter Michelle Hennessy, Eileen Finnegan, clinical director of One In Four, creator of the Phoenix programme for offender treatment/intervention and Fíona Ní Chinnéide, executive director of the Irish Penal Reform Trust.

https://soundcloud.com/the-explainer-podcast/how-does-ireland-deal-with-sex-offenders-after-prison

Find a full list of where the podcast is available here.

This episode was put together by presenter Sinéad O’Carroll, producer Aoife Barry, assistant producer and technical operator Nicky Ryan, and executive producer Christine Bohan. Design by Palash Somani.