Sex offenders among 270 prisoners freed early

TWO sex offenders are among more than 270 men and women who have been freed early from prison – the majority of them permanently.

Of the criminals given early release, 33 were serving at least five years, meaning their crimes were at the more serious end of the scale.

Both of the sex offenders are aged over 60, and prison sources said their release was on long-term compassionate grounds.

Drug dealers and thieves made up the majority of those to benefit from temporary release from jail.

The figures, provided by the Irish Prison Service under Freedom of Information, give the most detailed picture yet of who gets let out early from their sentence.

The longest-serving inmate on release was a man in his 50s convicted of ‘homicide offences’. He was given over 10 years and was due out in November, but has been released six months early. Twenty people serving sentences for serious assaults, threats to murder, harassment and other related offences were also let out. They include two women with remission dates later this summer. Both of whom were allowed leave jail early.

Overall, 29 women – serving time for offences like robbery, burglary, assault, drugs, and theft – were out before the end of their sentence.

In general, drug dealers are the most likely to get out early with 61 offenders guilty of ‘controlled drug offences’. Their sentences ranged from just a few months up to 10 years.

Most of the offenders listed were due to get out of jail at some stage this year and have had months rather than years trimmed from their sentences.

The prison with the most people on temporary release was Mountjoy with 85, followed by Cork with 48, and Limerick with 33. The IPS told the Irish Mail on Sunday: ‘It is worth noting the number of prisoners on temporary release has fallen dramatically from a high of 998 [in June 2010] … to the current figure of circa 270.’

‘Drug dealers most likely to get out’