Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Justice whether any assessment has been made of trends in the cost of imprisonment.
Minister of Justice: Northern Ireland is no different to the rest of the UK in that there has been no respite in the growth of the prison population. The Cost Per Prisoner Place (CPPP) has been increasing year on year as set out in the table below.
| Year | CPPP |
| 2021/22 | £44,868 |
| 2022/23 | £47,927 |
| 2023/24 | £54,024 |
| 2024/25 | £57,180 |
Northern Ireland Prison Service costs have increased due to the need to re-open and provide staff for previously closed accommodation to house the increasing numbers of prisoners, in addition to pay and price increases.
The trend in recent years suggests that further increases are likely, and the Prison Service is planning on that basis, within the funding it has available.
ENDS
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