Irish Prison Service Annual Report 2009

6th August 2010

The Irish Prison Service Annual Report was published today.

The report reveals the steady and dramatic increase in committals. Some of these figures include:

• 53% of all committals were for 3 months or less
• 63% increase in the use sentences for 3 months or less
• 15,425 committals in 2009 which was an overall increase of 13.8% on 2008
• Imprisonment for non-payment of court ordered fines increased by a massive 91% on the 2008 figure

The report highlights the depth of the overcrowding crisis and the over-reliance of the justice system on short sentences. However, it is important to note that these figures are now 7 months out of date. The prison population has been steadily increasing, with 4,491 people in Irish prisons on 29 July 2010. The urgent need to shift our focus away from retribution and to place greater emphasis on more effective means of rehabilitation is greater then ever.

Read the report here