Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 1 March 2017
89. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the total number, by gender, of persons imprisoned in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016; the total numbers of prisoners, by gender, granted temporary release and community return in the same period; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10659/17]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that the figures for persons imprisoned for the years 2011 to 2015 are outlined in the following table. The figures for 2016 are currently unavailable pending the publication of the Irish Prison Service 2016 Annual Report.
Persons imprisoned for the years 2011 to 2015
|
Year |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
2015 |
11,264 |
2,918 |
14,182 |
|
2014 |
10,723 |
2,685 |
13,408 |
|
2013 |
10,729 |
2,326 |
13,055 |
|
2012 |
11,709 |
2,151 |
13,860 |
|
2011 |
12,050 |
1,902 |
13,952 |
The number of prisoners granted temporary release prior to March 2012 is not readily available and would require a manual examination of records. Such an examination would require a disproportionate and inordinate amount of staff time and effort and cannot be justified in current circumstances where there are other significant demands on resources.
However the Irish Prison Service introduced a new Prisoner Information Management System (PIMS) on 03 March, 2012 and it is therefore possible to provide the information requested from 03 March, 2012 to date. This information is set out in the following table.
Total number of prisoners granted Temporary Release
|
Year |
Male |
Female |
Total number of prisoners granted Temporary Release |
|
2016 |
7,228 |
2,117 |
9,345 |
|
2015 |
8,377 |
2,390 |
10,767 |
|
2014 |
8,533 |
2,278 |
10,811 |
|
2013 |
8,514 |
2,072 |
10,586 |
|
2012 (from 3rd March) |
7,585 |
1,495 |
9,080 |
Each application for Temporary Release of any nature including Community Return is considered on its individual merits and a number of factors are taken into account when making a decision including the nature of the offence, whether or not the person is a first-time offender and whether the person poses a threat to public safety.
The Irish Prison Service publishes figures in relation to the number of prisoners currently on temporary release on their website www.irishprisons.ie on a daily basis. I can advise the Deputy that the number of prisoners on temporary release on 28 February 2017 was 252 which represented approximately 6% of the overall prison population, this includes 66 persons on the community return scheme.
The numbers of person who have availed of temporary release to the Community Return Scheme since 2011 are outlined in the following table.
The numbers of person who have availed of temporary release to the Community Return Scheme since 2011
|
Prison |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
Total |
|
Arbour Hill |
1 |
1 |
|||||
|
Castlerea |
5 |
6 |
11 |
8 |
8 |
38 |
|
|
Cloverhill |
3 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
6 |
||
|
Cork |
29 |
19 |
41 |
28 |
17 |
134 |
|
|
Dochas |
12 |
21 |
14 |
12 |
9 |
68 |
|
|
Limerick |
7 |
22 |
39 |
35 |
20 |
29 |
152 |
|
Loughan |
11 |
27 |
79 |
92 |
75 |
83 |
367 |
|
Midlands |
5 |
29 |
33 |
33 |
17 |
16 |
133 |
|
Mountjoy |
11 |
40 |
36 |
23 |
24 |
9 |
143 |
|
Portlaoise |
4 |
15 |
9 |
8 |
5 |
41 |
|
|
Shelton |
18 |
70 |
82 |
127 |
87 |
82 |
466 |
|
St Pats |
12 |
19 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
33 |
|
|
Training Unit |
7 |
36 |
18 |
43 |
27 |
24 |
155 |
|
Wheatfield |
7 |
13 |
26 |
25 |
14 |
18 |
103 |
|
Total |
66 |
299 |
396 |
455 |
323 |
301 |
1840 |
