Jim Higgins
Question:155 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the annual cost of keeping a person in prison. [6320/00]
Written Answers. - Departmental Costs.
The most recent figure available for the average annual cost of keeping an offender in custody is £53,400. This figure was calculated by averaging out the current running costs of the prisons and places of detention against the average number of offenders over a certain period, in this case – 1998. The figure for 1999 is currently being worked on in my De partment and I will write to the Deputy as soon as it is available.