There are 3,729 people in prison custody in Ireland (Feb 2021).
The rate of imprisonment in Ireland is approximately 73 per 100,000 of the general population (end of Dec 2020).
In 2019, the average cost of an “available, staffed prison space” was €75,349.
The overall daily average number of prisoners in custody in 2019 was 3,971 compared to 3,893 in 2018, an increase of 2%.
In 2019 there were 4,314 prisoners committed under sentence serving sentences of less than 12 months.
The majority of Irish prisoners have never sat a State exam and over half left school before the age of 15.
The average number of females in custody in 2019 was 170, a 3% increase on the 2018 average of 165.
The daily average number of female offenders in custody rose by29%in the ten year period between 2006 and 2016.
As of October 2020, there are 47 people in prison slopping out, without in-cell sanitation.
As of October 2020, 1,714 (45%) prisoners were required to use the toilet in the presence of another prisoner.
As of October 2020, 1,964 (52%) prisoners were accommodated in single cells.
In 2019, there were 861 committals to prison for the non-payment of court-ordered fines, an 89.2% increase on the 2018 figure of 455.
Committals under immigration increased by 18% to 490 in 2019, from 414 in 2018.
The number of sentenced committals for road and traffic offences increased from 619 in 2018 to 662 in 2019.
Prisoners are 23 times more likely to come from (and return to) a seriously deprived area, compared to the least deprived areas. (O'Donnell et al., 2007)
In October 2020, of 728restricted regime prisoners: 34 were Rule 62; 523 were Rule 63 (voluntary); 10 were Rule 63 (involuntary); 0 was Rule 64; and 161 prisoners were restricted due to COVID-19 infection control measures, Rule 103.
As of October 2020, 119prisoners held on a restricted regime were aged 18-24. [Published data does not indicate the proportion of these held due to COVID-19 infection control measures.]
According to the October 2020 census of restricted regimes, there are 327 prisoners being held on 22+ hour lock-up. [Published data does not indicate the proportion of these held due to COVID-19 infection control measures.]
Committals under sentence of less than 3 months increased from 1,070 in 2018 to 1,552 in 2019.
On 30 November 2019, 780 prisoners were on remand.
As of December 2020, there were 479 sentenced prisoners aged 50+, 16% of all sentenced prisoners.
Over a third (35%) of all persons committed to prison in 2019 declared Dublin as their county of residence.
The number of people committed with a life sentence decreased from 21 in 2018 to 9 in 2019.
In 2011, over 70%of prisoners were unemployed on committal and a similar percentage self-report as not having any particular trade or occupation.
From 1999 to 2019, average numbers custody increased by 44% (2,763 to 3,971).
