Publication of Irish Prison Service Annual Report 2009
The Irish Prison Service today published the Service's Annual Report for the year 2009. The main statistical highlights of the Report are as follows:
· There were 15,425 committals to prison in 2009 which is an increase of 13.8% on the 2008 total of 13,557 and follows a 13.6% increase on the total in 2007.
· 12,339 persons were sent to prison in 2009 compared to 10,928 in 2008, which represents an increase of 12.9%. Of those 88.2% were male and 11.8% female.
· There was an increase of 2,822 or 35% in the numbers committed to prison under sentence in 2009 (10,865) over 2008 (8,043).
· The number of prisoners committed serving 10 years or more increased by 7.7% from 65 offenders in 2008 to 70 in 2009. This follows on from a 38.3% increase in this category in 2008 and a 114% increase in this category 2007.
· The number of prisoners committed serving sentences in the 3 to 5 years category increased by 35.5% on the 2008 figure (346 in 2008 to 469 in 2009. The number of persons committed in this sentence-length category for drug offences increased by 80% (from 77 in 2008 to 139 in 2009).
· Committals under sentence of less than 3 months increased by almost 63% on the 2008 figure, i.e., from 3,526 to 5,750.
· The number of committals to prison in 2009 for road traffic offences increased by 60% on the 2008 figure, i.e., from 2,254 in 2008 to 3,601in 2009). 71.7% of sentences in this category were for less than 3 months.
· There was a considerable increase in the numbers committed for non-payment of a court ordered fine during 2009. This category increased by 91% on the 2008 figure - from 2,520 in 2008 to 4,806 in 2009. This follows on from an increase of 88.7% in 2008.
Cost of Providing a Prison Space
The average cost of providing a prison space in 2009 was €77,222. This was a decrease on the 2008 cost (€92,717), of €15,495 or 16.7%. The decrease in average cost is attributed to the following two factors:
· a decrease in total costs of €17.7 million (of which €15.5 million relates to pay costs); and
· an increase in bed capacity of 495 from 3,611 as at 31st December 2008 to 4,106 as at 31st December 2009.
A copy of the Irish Prison Service Annual Report 2009 is available on the Irish Prison Service website www.irishprisons.ie.
06 August, 2010.
For further information please contact:
pressoffice@irishprisons.ie or on 087 6674284
Irish Prison Service
Irish Prison Service
IDA Business Park,
Ballinalee Road, Longford,
Co. Longford
+353 43 3335100 Fax: +353 43 3335101
Email: info@irishprisons.ie
www.irishprisons.ie
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