Written answers
Tuesday, 4 November 2014
Department of Justice and Equality
Prisoner Data
Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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535. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the total prison population; the number of prisoners in tabular form, broken down by prison; the capacity of each prison within the State; the percentage occupation of each prison; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41956/14]
Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I can inform the Deputy that on 31 October , 2014, there were 3,775 prisoners in custody as compared to a bed capacity of 4,120. This represents an occupancy level of 92%. A full breakdown to include, capacity, number in custody and percentage of bed capacity is set out in the following table.
| Institution | Bed Capacity | Number in Custody | % of Bed Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mountjoy Campus | |||
| Mountjoy (M) | 548 | 541 | 99% |
| Mountjoy (F) | 105 | 114 | 109% |
| Training Unit | 96 | 80 | 83% |
| St Patrick’s | 34 | 8 | 24% |
| West Dublin Campus | |||
| Cloverhill | 431 | 401 | 93% |
| Wheatfield | 550 | 484 | 88% |
| Portlaoise Campus | |||
| Midlands | 870 | 791 | 91% |
| Portlaoise | 291 | 229 | 79% |
| Cork | 210 | 219 | 104% |
| Limerick (M) | 220 | 216 | 98% |
| Limerick (F) | 28 | 24 | 86% |
| Castlerea | 340 | 314 | 92% |
| Arbour Hill | 142 | 141 | 99% |
| Loughan House | 140 | 109 | 78% |
| Shelton Abbey | 115 | 104 | 90% |
| Totals | 4,120 | 3,775 | 92% |
As outlined in the Irish Prison Service Three Year Strategic Plan, it is intended to align the capacity of our prisons with the guidelines laid down by the Inspector of Prisons , in so far as this is compatible with public safety and the integrity of the criminal justice system. This has been completed for 9 out of the 14 prisons in the State. The number in custody on 31st October (3,775) represented 95% of the Inspector of Prisons recommended total of 3,976.
The Deputy will be aware that the average number of prisoners in custody in Ireland rose from 3,321 during 2007 to 4,318 during 2012, an increase of over 30%. Likewise the total number of committals to prison also rose sharply during the same period, from 11,934 in 2007 to 17,026 in 2012 – an increase of over 43%.
2013 saw the first significant decrease in prison numbers since 2007. There were 15,735 committals to prison in 2013 which was a decrease of 7.6% on the 2012 figure. The overall daily average number of prisoners in custody has also dropped in recent years. The average number in custody from January to the end of October 2014 was 3,958 a reduction of 9.8% on the 2011 average of 4,390.
The Deputy may wish to note that the number in custody reached a peak of 4,621 on 23rd February 2011. Today there are 861 less prisoners in custody which is a decrease of almost 19%.
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