The number of people working in the prison service outnumber prison places, it was revealed. There is a total staff of 2,489 for 2,174 places. The Minister for Justice in a written reply to Mr Ivor Callely (FF, Dublin North Central) said prisons and places of detention operate around the clock, 365 days a year.
Replying to Dr Pat Upton (Lab, Dublin South Central) Ms Owen said the average prison sentence in 1992, the last year for which official figures were available, was about 11 months. The average age of convicted persons was 28 years 3 months.