More than a third of Louth offenders reoffend within a year of release
27 out of 74 individuals released from Louth went on to reoffend within one year
More than a third of convicted criminals in Louth reoffended within 12 months of being released from prison, according to new figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
The figures, based on prisoners released in 2023, show that 27 out of 74 individuals released from Louth went on to reoffend within one year; a reoffending rate of 36%.
A total of 47 people released from prison in Louth did not reoffend during the same period.
The rate in Louth was below the national average, with figures showing that 43% of prisoners released across the State went on to commit another offence within 12 months.
Nationally, 2,987 prisoners were released in 2023, with 1,251 of those individuals recorded as having reoffended within the following year.
Almost six in ten individuals (58%) who were released from custodial sentences during 2020 were convicted of re-offending within three years of release.
While 77% of adults aged less than 21 re-offended within three years of being released in 2020, just over one-quarter (26%) of those aged 51 years and over re-offended in the same period.
Individuals linked to custodial sentences relating to Robbery (78%) were the most likely to be convicted of a re-offence within three years of being released.
More than four in ten individuals (42%) who were released from custodial sentences during 2023 were convicted of re-offending within one year of release.
Almost two-thirds (65%) of re-offences that took place within a year of releases during 2023 were either Theft, Public Order or Drug related.
Over half of individuals (52%) released from custody during 2023 and living in the Mid-West region (Clare, Limerick, and Tipperary) re-offended within a year of being released. In contrast, just over one-third (34%) of individuals based in the Mid-East region (Kildare, Louth, Meath, and Wicklow) re-offended in the same period following release.
Commenting on the release, Felix Coleman, Statistician in the Crime and Criminal Justice Division, said: "Today’s publication provides annual estimates of the re-offending rates for individuals released from custody up to and including 2023. Additional insights are also provided in relation to the age, sex, offence, and re-offence types of those who re-offended.
“The most recent reference year available for statistics relating to one-year re-offending is 2023 because a minimum of two years is needed to establish a re-offending rate: one year for potential re-offences to take place, and one further year for court conviction proceedings to be completed. It is important to note that re-offending offence types do not always correspond to the same offence that individuals were initially imprisoned for.”