NI: Prison population declines by around two per cent
Northern Ireland’s prison population declined by more than two per cent in 2017/18, according to new Department of Justice figures.
The latest statistical bulletin reveals that the overall average daily prison population in 2017/18 was 1,439, down 2.2 per cent on the year before.
The average daily remand prison population continued to decline but at a slower rate, reaching 368, down 1.6 per cent on the year before - markedly less than the 4.8 per cent drop last year, and the 6.2 per cent drop the year before that.
The average daily immediate custody prison population fell by 2.3 per cent to 1,060, the lowest decrease since 2014/15.