The Prison Re-offending Statistics publication provides information on the level of recorded re-offending by individuals released from custodial or Fine Sentence sanctions with the Irish Prison Service. Fine sentences are conditional custodial sentences in which custody is avoided when a fine is paid to the court by the convicted offender. The re-offending rates are calculated as the percentage of individuals who have been convicted of any crime incident during the reference period after their release. This publication primarily provides re-offending estimates of individuals who were released from custody in 2016 (three year re-offending). In addition, more timely estimates for individuals released in 2019 (one year re-offending) are provided. For the three year re-offending estimates, a period of three years with a further two years for conviction after release is used to measure a re-offending incident and for the statistics on one year re-offending, a period of one year after release with a further year for conviction is used as the re-offending period. In addition to updates to existing re-offending estimates, this publication also provides new estimates that show the levels of re-offending that exist in each county.

Over eight in ten (82.6%) individuals released from custodial sentences in 2016 for serving sentences relating to Public Order offences re-offended within three years of release. This offence group typically includes offences related to threatening or insulting behaviour, trespassing and a failure to comply with directions given by a member of An Garda Síochána. Individuals released from custody in 2016 in relation to the offence groups Damage to Property and the Environment (79.7%) and Burglary (76.8%) were the next most likely to re-offend within three years. In contrast, individuals released from custody in relation to Sexual Offences (23%) were the least likely to re-offend. This offence group contains offences such as rape, sexual assault and indecent assault. (See Table 3.2 and Figure 3.2 on CSO website.)