Imprisonment rates among top in EU

IRELAND has one of the highest rates of imprisonment in Europe, according to a new report.

“The cost of imprisonment in Ireland is a massive drain on public resources given that the average cost of keeping an offender in prison is €87,950 per annum,” said report author Mairéad Seymour.

She said while the number of people in Irish prisons on any given day is at the middle of the European table, the rate at which people are sent to prison (the “flow” of prisoners) is one of the highest in Europe.