High rate of reoffending among juveniles, CSO figures reveal

Half (50.6%) of one-year probation reoffenders received a custodial sanction for their reoffending offence, with the other half receiving a non-custodial sentence such as a fine or a Community Service Order, according to the most recent estimates of probation reoffending from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).  

Almost half of juvenile offenders who received a community-based sanction in the courts reoffended within a year, official figures show.

The latest CSO analysis of reoffending rates for those subject to probation, or non-prison, sanctions shows that reoffending rates drop continually through the age groups.

Reoffending rates within a year are highest for those convicted of theft and public order offences, but remain relatively high for other, more serious, offenders.

The CSO statistics show that around a third of those convicted of burglaries go on to reoffend, while more than a fifth of sex offenders reoffend (though subsequent offences may be for a different crime).

Overall, the CSO found that 31% of those placed by the courts under the supervision of the Probation Service in 2016 went on to reoffend within a year.

This figure has increased slightly on those under Probation in 2013, with 28% of those reoffending within a year.

People aged under 18 in 2016 had the highest level of reoffending (45.6%), with the recidivism rate dropping with age, reaching almost 20% for those aged over 45.

In 2016, almost a third (31.1%) of offenders managed by the Probation Service re-offended within a yearhttps://t.co/mnWPpTFysv #CSOIreland #Ireland #Crime #RecordedCrime #CrimeStatistics #CrimeStats pic.twitter.com/kr8COZ5AHQ

— Central Statistics Office Ireland (@CSOIreland) November 17, 2020

The CSO said there was “negligible difference” in the overall re-offending rates between males and females. Although the majority of individuals who received probation orders in 2016 were male (85%), slightly more males re-offended (30.3%) than females (30%).

But there are differences within age groups, with a drop in reoffending among males as they age (37.7% of males under 21, compared to 19.2% of males over 45). In comparison, reoffending rates among females doesn’t change much (28.9% of females under 21, compared to 27.9% of females over 45).

The highest proportion of one-year re-offending is among individuals who were initially placed into probation as a result of theft (39.1%) or public order related offences (37.5%) The rate is around 32% for those convicted of burglary and around 22% for those convicted of a sex offence.

CSO statistician Felix Coleman said: “There has been a small increase in the one-year probation re-offending rate between 2013 and 2016 from 28% to 31.1%. 

"The data from 2016 indicates that younger age groups of probationers continue to be much more likely to re-offend with almost 45.6% of probationers aged less than 18 at the time of receiving a probation sanction re-offending. In contrast, indicators show that just 21.7% of probationers who were over 65 re-offended.”