The Northern Ireland Prison Population 2015 and 2015/16 published today.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) today published Research and Statistical Bulletin 24/2016 ‘The Northern Ireland Prison Population 2015 and 2015/16’. It is a National Statistics Publication.

The bulletin looks at the average daily prison population and the number of receptions into Northern Ireland Prisons for the calendar year 2015 and also for the financial year 2015/16.  The key findings were as follows:

Average Daily Prison Population

The average daily prison population during 2015 was 1,661; this was a decrease of 9.2% from the previous year and was the first time since 2010 that the prison population decreased.
During 2015 Crown Court disposals decreased by 35.6% and custodial convictions in the Crown Court fell by 38.4%. The Legal Aid Dispute during 2015 and early 2016 had an impact on disposals and delay within the Crown Court process during this period.
For the fourth year in a row the average daily remand prisoner population fell, decreasing by 5.5% in 2015 (421 to 398).
For the first time since 2010 the average daily immediate custody prison population decreased.  During 2015 this population fell by almost 11% (151) to 1,255.
Fine defaulters account for only 0.3% (5) of the prison population, whilst non-criminal prisoners account for only 0.1% (2).
The average daily prison population decreased for males and females, the male population fell by 9.0% (1,763 to 1,605), whilst the female population decreased by 16.4% (67 to 56).
The largest proportion of the prison population was aged between 21 and 29 years (35.1%). The proportion this age group accounts for has been decreasing since 2013: 39.5% in 2013 and 38.0% in 2014.
Custodial sentences of 1 year or under accounted for 25.5% of immediate custody prisoners.
Not all offence categories recorded a decrease in numbers from 2014 to 2015. Drug Offences and Other Offences increased from 2014 to 2015 (18.4% and 14.0% respectively).
Principal offences classified as Public Order Offences decreased by the largest percentage (129 to 53; 58.9%).
The change in the proportion of principal offences recorded as Other Offences and Public Order Offences from 2014 to 2015 was significant.

Receptions

Total Prison Receptions fell to 4,757 during 2015, a fall of 3.3%.
For the fourth year in a row remand receptions fell, decreasing by 3.8% during 2015 to 2,633.
The number of prisoners received under sentence of immediate custody during 2015 was 1,644, a decrease of 18.7% compared to the previous year.
The number of fine default receptions increased during 2015 to 456 receptions from 139 the year before.
Non-Criminal receptions still represent a relatively small number of receptions (0.5%), 24 for 2015.
Unlike male receptions, female receptions increased during 2015 from 317 to 334 (5.4%). This increase can be attributed to an increase in fine default receptions (from 7 in 2014 to 53 in 2015), as female remand and immediate custody receptions both fell.
Those aged between 21 and 29 years of age accounted for 43.0% of all immediate custody receptions.
Sentences of 1 year and under accounted for the largest proportion of sentenced receptions for both total sentence and total custody sentence (67.4% and 76.1% respectively).
The change in the proportion of principal offences recorded as VAP, Public Order Offences and Drug Offences from 2014 to 2015 was significant.
Only two out of the 13 offence groupings recorded an increase in receptions during 2015, namely Drug Offences (17.7%; +25 receptions) and Misc. Sexual (30.0%; +3 receptions).

International Comparisons

During 2015 Northern Ireland had 87 prisoners for every 100,000 people in the population; this compared to a figure of 80 for the Republic of Ireland and 148 for England and Wales and 143 for Scotland.
Northern Ireland had 2.9 female prisoners for every 100,000 people in the population, Republic of Ireland 2.7, England and Wales 6.8 and Scotland 7.1.

Notes to editors: 

This bulletin presents information on the average daily prison population and the number of receptions into Northern Ireland Prisons for the calendar year 2015 and the financial year 2015/16.  It is a National Statistics Publication.

National Statistics are produced in accordance with the Code of Practice for National Statistics. They undergo regular quality assurance reviews to ensure that they meet customer needs and are produced free from any political interference.  They are also subject to restrictions in terms of pre-release access.

View the prison population bulletin or alternatively contact;

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