HC Deb 01 November 1988 vol 139 cc633-5W
Mr. McNamara

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the size of the present prison population in Northern Ireland, divided into terrorist-type offenders and other offenders, categorised by age and by sex in the following groups: under 18 years old, 18 to 25 years, 25 to 30 years, 30 to 40 years, 40 to 50 years, 50 to

Table A
Northern Ireland sentenced prison population 30 September 1988 for male prisoners
Age of prisoners
Sentence length Under 18 years of age 18 to 25 years of age 25 to 30 years of age 30 to 40 years of age 40 to 50 years of age 50 to 60 years of age Over 60 years Total
Up to 3 months
Scheduled 1 9 2 1 — — — 13
Non-scheduled 2 31 18 10 3 2 — 66
3 months to 6 months
Scheduled — 5 — 3 — — — 8
Non-scheduled 7 33 17 7 1 2 — 67
6 months to 12 months
Scheduled 6 11 3 3 — — — 23
Non-scheduled 5 51 16 7 4 2 — 85
12 months to 18 months
Scheduled — 15 4 1 1 — — 21
Non-scheduled 3 12 6 4 2 1 — 28
18 months to 4 years
Scheduled 3 70 36 21 5 — — 135
Non-scheduled 3 58 32 29 15 5 1 143
4 years to 8 years
Scheduled — 75 54 33 7 1 1 171
Non-scheduled — 17 17 15 12 4 1 66
8 years excluding life
Scheduled — 60 108 68 9 — — 245
Non-scheduled — 3 11 4 4 2 1 25
Life
Scheduled 2 22 91 261 47 7 1 431
Non-scheduled — — — — 1 — — 1
Total 32 472 415 467 111 26 5 1,528

Notes:

1. Age refers to age of prisoner on 30 September 1988.

2. Percentage=per cent. of total sentenced prison population (1,548).

3. Life includes those detained at the pleasure of the Secretary of State.

Table B
Northern Ireland sentenced prison population 30 September 1988 for female prisoners
Age of prisoner
Sentence length Under 16 years of age 16 to 25 years of age 25 to 30 years of age 30 to 40 years of age 40 to 50 years of age Total
Up to 3 months
Scheduled — — — — — 0
Non-scheduled 1 — — — 1 2
3 months to 6 months
Scheduled — — — — — 0

60 years and over 60 years; and if he will give a breakdown of the length of sentence being served by each age group under the headings (i) up to three months, (ii) over three months and up to six months, (iii) over six months and under 12 months, (iv) over 12 months and under 18 months, (v) over 18 months and up to four years, (vi) over four years and up to eight years, (vii) over eight years, and (viii) life; and if he will give a breakdown, divided into terrorist-type offenders and other offenders, under the same sentence headings of the numbers as a percentage of the total prison population.

Mr. Ian Stewart

On 30 September 1988 there were 1,848 sentenced inmates in Northern Ireland prison establishments. This includes those detained in the young offenders' centres. The requested breakdowns of the population are set out in the tables.

Age of prisoner
Sentence length Under 16 years of age 16 to 25 years of age 25 to 30 years of age 30 to 40 years of age 40 to 50 years of age Total
Non-scheduled — 1 — — — 1
6 months to 12 months
Scheduled — — — — — 0
Non-scheduled — — 1 1 — 2
12 months to 4 years
Scheduled — 3 1 2 — 6
Non-scheduled — — — — — 0
4 years to 8 years
Scheduled — 1 — — — 1
Non-scheduled — — — — — 0
8 years excluding life
Scheduled — 1 1 — — 2
Non-scheduled — — — — — 0
Life
Scheduled — 1 2 1 2 6
Non-scheduled — — — — — 0
— — — — — —
Total 1 7 5 4 3 20

Notes:

1. Age refers to age of prisoner on 30 September 1988.

2. Percentage = per cent. of total sentenced prison population (1548).

3. Life includes those detained at the pleasure of the Secretary of State.

4. No females aged over 50 in custody on 1 October.

Table C

Scheduled and non-scheduled offenders, by sentence length, as a

percentage of the total sentenced prison population
Type of offence
scheduled count per cent. non-scheduled count per cent. Total count per cent.
Total 68.6 31.4 100.0
Sentence length
Up to 3 months .8 4.4 5.2
3 months to 6 months 5 4.4 4.9
6 months to 12 months 1.5 5.6 7.1
12 months to 18 months 1.4 1.8 3.2
18 months to 4 years 9.1 9.2 18.3
4 years to 8 years 11.1 4.3 15.4
8 years excluding life 16.0 1.6 17.6
Life (including SOSP) 28.2 .1 28.3

Note:

Percentage = per cent. of total sentenced prison population (1548).