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CSO statistical release, , 11am
The rate of recidivism for prisoners released during 2012 was 45.8%. The recidivism rate is the percentage of people who were convicted of another crime that was recorded within three years of their release from prison. For example, if an offender was released from prison on December 31st, 2012 and they committed an offence on December 31st, 2015 for which they were subsequently convicted, they would be included as a recidivist. The FAQ section provides more information on the concepts of this release.
The recidivism rate for prisoners released in 2011 was 48.9%. The rate of re-offending by males (47.6% in the 2012 cohort, 50.2% in the 2011 cohort) is higher than that by females (36% in the 2012 cohort, 40.2% in the 2011 cohort). The gap between genders has increased over time. The gender gap for those released in 2012 is more than double that of those from the 2008 cohort. Further detail is available in the Additional Statistical Tables section of this release. See table 3.2.
Younger persons are more likely to reoffend than older persons. Persons under 21 who serve a prison sentence are three times more likely to reoffend than those aged over 50. The rate for those under 21 was 72.3% in the 2012 cohort and 73.1% in the 2011 cohort. For those over 50 the rates were 23.3% and 23.8% respectively. See tables 1.1 and 3.1.
| Age group | 2011 | 2012 |
|---|---|---|
| <21 years | 73.1 | 72.3 |
| 21-25 | 57.1 | 54.4 |
| 26-30 | 51.8 | 46.8 |
| 31-35 | 43.3 | 43.3 |
| 36-40 | 41.8 | 40.9 |
| 41-50 | 33.4 | 31.4 |
| 51+ | 23.8 | 23.3 |
Go to next chapter:Prison Recidivism Frequently Asked Questions
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