Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Justice to detail any estimate that has been made of the level of the prison population, over the next five years.
Minister of Justice: Given the wide range of factors which contribute to changes in the prison population it is not possible to provide reliable estimates. However, the trend in recent years suggests that further population increases are highly likely, and the Prison Service is planning on that basis, within the funding it has available.
If there are reductions in the population, they will need to be both substantial and sustained to offer any respite to the pressure currently faced by the Prison Service.
My focus will remain on ensuring that the Service has the support and resources it requires.
ENDS
Your MLA 