CSO Study: Individuals released from Prison in 2009 and their subsequent levels of re-offending

14th December 2015

The Central Statistics Office has published a study of which examines individuals who were released from the custody of the Irish Prison Service in the year 2009, and their subsequent levels of re-offending.

Some of the key findings highlighted include:

• In 2009, some 7,507 individuals were released from the custody of the Irish Prison Service.  Of these, 47.5% re-offended within a three-year period.
• The recorded recidivism rate in 2009 was 47.5%, a decrease from the 51.0% recorded in 2008. 
• As of 2009, 48.2% of males reoffended within three years, while the corresponding figure for females was 41.2%.
• While 54.4% of individuals aged less than 21 years re-offended; the recidivism rate fell to 27.2% for the 51-60 year age category and 16.7% for those aged 61 years and older.
• The lowest rates of recidivism were recorded for Sexual Offences (21.1%), and Fraud, Deception and Related Offences (27.2%).
• The highest rates of recidivism were recorded for Offences against Government, Justice Procedures and Organisation of Crime (60.6%) and Public Order and other Social Code Offences.
• Of those individuals who re-offended 64.7% did so within the first six months of official release from custody.

To read the full report click: here