Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Question 375: To ask the Minister for Justice and Law Reform the number of prisoners who served sentences of less than 12 months in each of the years 2005 to 2009 and to date in 2010; the average monthly cost to the State of keeping a person in prison in each of those years; the number of persons who have served less than 12 months and were found to have committed a crime after their release in each of the years from 2005 to 2009 and to date in 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39211/10]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I can advise the Deputy that figures for the number of persons committed to custody serving less than 12 month sentences during each of the past 5 years and the average monthly cost of keeping an offender in custody in those years, are set out in the table below. Figures in relation to 2010 are unavailable at this stage.

It is not possible to provide figures to the Deputy in relation to those who were found to have committed a crime after their release as this would require the manual examination of records going back over the time period in question. Such an examination would require a disproportionate and inordinate amount of staff time and effort and could not be justified in current circumstances where there are other significant demands on resources.

However, the Deputy may wish to note that the Irish Prison Service facilitated a major study of prisoner re-offending by the UCD Institute of Criminology, published in 2008. That study found that 27.4% of released prisoners were serving a new prison sentence within one year. This rose to 39.2% after two years, 45.1% after three years, and 49.2% after four years. The fact that over 50% of prisoners do not re-offend within four years of release compares well internationally.

Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Question 376: To ask the Minister for Justice and Law Reform the percentage of persons engaged in work, training and educational activities in prisons here by prison in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39224/10]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The most recent full year statistics available are for 2009. Over the course of 2009, an average of 39% of the prison population are reported as having attended education classes. This figure is based on weekly returns from the education units in each prison and excludes normal school holidays, when a reduced service is available. Additionally, in the same period, an average of 20% of the prison population are recorded as having attended workshop sessions each day. This understates workshop participation somewhat since the prisoners attending morning and afternoon sessions may vary.

Participation rates in different institutions also vary with factors such as facilities, availability of alternative activities, population turnover and segregation having an impact on the numbers involved. The pattern of attendance for each prison is presented in the following table. Prisoners may participate in both education and work and training so there is a degree of overlap in the figures given.