Prisoner upkeep soars three times rate of inflation to €90,900
The cost per prisoner jumped from €83,800 in 2004 to €90,900 in 2005 — a rise of 8%, compared with an annual inflation rate of 2.5% last year.
The 2005 annual report of the Irish Prison Service also showed that:
* One-quarter of people sent to prison last year were foreign nationals.
* The overtime bill was up marginally from €45.5m in 2004 to €46m in 2005.
* The average length of sentences rose 15%.
* The average prisoner consumed €772 worth of pharmaceuticals in 2005. The cost of prisoner detention was greatest at Portlaoise, the country’s sole maximum security jail. The cost per prisoner was €240,700 in 2005, down from €250,000 in 2004.
But the overall average across the country’s 14 institutions rose by almost €7,000 to €90,900.
A spokeswoman for the Prison Service said the increase was mainly due to pay rises to staff under the Sustaining Progress agreement.
“However, it should be noted that, in the context of the replacement of the Mountjoy Complex on a greenfield site at Thornton Hall in north county Dublin, the Irish Prison Service estimates that annual savings in excess of €20,000 per prisoner can be generated,” she said.
The report noted that, despite the Government’s success in securing agreement from prison officers on ending the overtime scandal, the overtime bill still increased marginally from €45.5m in 2004 to €46m last year.
The report said: “The fact that overtime was held at this level, notwithstanding operational provisions in prisons is a tribute to effective central and local management of overtime spending.”
Prison Service Director General Brian Purcell said the new annualised hours system to end overtime was in place in all institutions.
The report found that 2,185 foreign nationals were imprisoned in 2005, representing one-quarter of the total jail population last year.
It added: “This is an unexpected rise at a time when immigration-related detentions are falling. It is attributable to an increase in the number of non-nationals committed on remand.”
The report noted there was a “significant increase” in the length of sentences handed down to prisoners.
There was a drop in the number of people in prison in relation to violent offences against the person and property, but a rise in relation to road traffic and other offences.
The report said more than €2.4m was spent on supplying pharmaceuticals to prisoners, with an average of €772 per inmate. The figure was around twice the cost for people of a similar age profile outside prison.
The report repeated its concern at the low numbers of sex offenders who were willing to take part in the therapeutic rehabilitation programme in Arbour Hill prison.
The report said the Prison Service agreed with the Inspector of Prisons, Justice Dermot Kinlen, that St Patrick’s should be closed down, but stated that could only happen when Thornton was built.
The report agreed there was a lack of rehabilitation programmes at St Patrick’s and Cork Prison, but said progress was being made in terms of addressing the issue.
The total spend by the Irish Prison Service in 2005 was €335m, some €9m under budget.
MOUNTJOY
* The male prison has a bed capacity of 480, but on an average daily basis housed 488 prisoners with 46 on temporary release.
* The female wing has a bed capacity of 85, but housed 87 with 16 on temporary release.
* 30% of inmates were involved in intensive education.
* Spent an average of €100,400 per prisoner.
* Suffered overcrowding, with an average of 210 prisoners in a 206 bed prison.
* Housed 22 sex offenders, more than 105 of its total population and the fourth highest level in the state.
* Spent €76,900 per prisoner each year.
* 29% of inmates involved in intensive education.
* 84 sex offenders in custody, 60% of its total bed capacity of 140.
* 47% of Arbour Hill inmates were involved in intensive education.
* Just eight inmates completed the sex offenders treatment programme.
* Spent €75,600 per prisoner.
* Spent €90,700 per prisoner.
* Bed capacity of 217, but a daily population of 187.
* Spent e213 on pharmaceuticals per inmate.
* 26% of inmates involved in intensive education.
* Lowest level of participation in intensive education, 145 of its population.
* Spent €85,300 per prisoner.
* Bed capacity of 449, and a daily population of 426.
* Second-highest level of inmate participation in intensive education programmes, with 52% of prisoners involved.
* Dochas spent the highest on pharmaceuticals for its prisoners in 2005, an average of €1,587 per prisoner.
* Had highest number of escapes, with three being made in 2005.
* Spends €86,300 per year, per prisoner.
* Had 87 inmates, with a bed capacity of only 85.
* Highest number of prisoners involved in methadone treatment, 571.
* Spent an average of €84,800 per prisoner.
* Spent an average of €998 on pharmaceuticals for each prisoner in 2005, up from an average of €942 per prisoner in 2004.
* Bed capacity of 433, with 391 inmates.
* No education programmes.
* 162 inmates on a methadone programme, out of a total population of 360.
* Bed capacity of 373.
* Spent an average of €825 on pharmaceuticals per inmate in 2005.
* An average of 10.5 nurse officers and 3 medical orderlies.
* Spent €81,200 per prisoner.
* Spent the lowest on pharmaceuticals, at just €164 per inmate.
* Bed capacity of 56, with an average of 51 in custody.
* Spent €80,900 per prisoner.
* No nurse officers and one medical orderly.
* No nurse officers and eight medical orderlies. One of four prisons to have no nurse orderlies.
* Spent an average of €87,700 per prisoner.
* 31% of inmates participated in intensive education programmes.
* Spent an average of €415 for pharmaceuticals for each prisoner.
* Bed capacity of 268, an average level of daily inmates of 257, with 26 prisoners on temporary release at any one time.
* Spent the most in terms of keeping a prisoner, with an average of €240,700 per inmate.
* Bed capacity of 188, but only had an average population of 121.
* 17% participation in intensive education.
* Four nurse officers, and five medical orderlies.
* Spent €75,800 per prisoner.
* The male wing housed 253 prisoners, female wing housed 15 prisoners.
* Operated at below capacity.
* Four patients treated with methadone.
* Spent an average of €476 on pharmaceuticals per prisoner.
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