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This chapter outlines some more details about individuals who re-offended within three years of release from custody, and who secured a court conviction within a further two years.
Younger adults released from custody continue to have a higher likelihood of re-offending. In 2016 over eight out of ten (82.8%) individuals under the age of 21 re-offended within three years of being released. In comparison, the three year re-offending rate for over 50’s was under one third (29.8%). See Table 3.1 and Figure 3.1.
| Re-offended within 3 years | |
| < 21 years | 82.8 |
| 21 - 25 years | 72.1 |
| 26 - 30 years | 70.4 |
| 31 - 35 years | 62.2 |
| 36 - 40 years | 52.8 |
| 41 - 50 years | 52 |
| Aged 50 and over | 29.8 |
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.
Note: The offence type that individuals are released from custody does not always correspond to the same re-offence type for the individual. Table 3.3 of this publication provides details of three year re-offence types.
| Re-offended within 3 years | |
| 13 Public Order and Other Social Code Offences | 82.6 |
| 12 Damage to Property and to the Environment | 79.7 |
| 07 Burglary and Related Offences | 76.8 |
| 08 Theft and Related Offences | 73.2 |
| 06 Robbery, Extortion and Hijacking Offences | 68.8 |
| 04 Dangerous or Negligent Acts | 61.8 |
| 11 Weapons and Explosives Offences | 60.6 |
| 03 Attempts/Threats to Murder, Assaults, Harassments and Related Offences | 60.1 |
| 09 Fraud, Deception and Related Offences | 56.4 |
| 14 Road and Traffic Offences | 53.1 |
| 05 Kidnapping and Related Offences | 47.1 |
| 15 Offences against Government, Justice Procedures and Organisation of Crime | 46.4 |
| 01 Homicide and Related Offences | 45.7 |
| 10 Controlled Drug Offences | 45.1 |
| 16 Offences not elsewhere Classified | 36.7 |
| 02 Sexual Offences | 23 |
A total of 327 out of the 1,636 re-offenders (20%) from individuals released in 2016 re-offended in offences related to theft while 321 out of the 1,636 (19.6%) re-offended in offences related to Public Order and Other Social Code Offences.
Of the total 241 individuals that re-offended after release in 2016 from serving sentences related to Homicide (16), Sexual Offences (17) or Attempts/Threats to Murder or Assaults (208), just 22 (9.1%) overall committed re-offences within the same offence types as their custodial related offence. Re-offending indicators related to these groups indicate the most likely re-offending category was Public Order and Other Social Code Offences (58 out of 241 or 24.1% of this group). See Table 3.3.
Almost seven out of ten females (69.7%) re-offended within three years of release from custody in 2016. Although the re-offending rate was higher than the male re-offending rate of 61.7% for the same period, just 208 out of the 2,626 individuals that were released from custody in 2016 (8%) of the release population were female. See Table 3.4 and Figure 3.3.
| Re-offended in 3 years | |
| Male | 92.1 |
| Female | 7.9 |
