People living in Longford were most likely to be sent to jail last year, while residents of Donegal were least likely to face time behind bars.
Figures based on the home addresses provided by individuals handed down prison sentences by the courts in 2021 show a committal rate of 16.1 per 10,000 for people living in Longford.
It represents a committal rate of almost twice the national average with over nine out of every 10,000 individuals living in the Republic being given a prison sentence last year.
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Other counties where locals had above-average rates of being sent to prison in 2021 were Limerick (14.6 per 10,000 population) and Dublin (12.9).
However, the vast majority of counties have below-average levels of incarceration with Donegal recording the lowest rate at just 3.4 per 10,000.
The figures published by the Irish Prison Service also reveal that the number of people sent to prison reached its lowest level in 15 years in 2021.
They show the total number of committals to the country’s 12 jails last year dropped by 1.6%.
A total of 5,179 convicted criminals were incarcerated during 2021 – a reduction of 84 cases on the previous year and down from a peak of almost 14,200 in 2015.
It is the lowest annual figure for committals since 2007.
The IPS figures also show that 70% of people sent to prison last year were given sentences of 12 months or less.
People jailed for theft offences represented the biggest proportion of individuals jailed in 2021, accounting for 16% of all new prisoners.
However, almost three-quarters of inmates jailed for theft received terms of imprisonment of 12 months or less.
A total of 189 individuals were sent to jail in 2021 after being convicted of sexual offences with 28% of those receiving prison terms in excess of five years.
Fourteen sex offenders – 7% of such prisoners – were given prison sentences of 10 years or more.
The IPS figures show 38 people were jailed for homicide offences last year with half of the total receiving a mandatory life sentence for murder.
A total of 30 prisoners committed for offences relating to assault, attempted murder and threats last year were handed down sentences of over five years.
Official figures show 4,070 prisoners were Irish nationals, representing almost 79% of new committals during 2021 with citizens of other EU member states and Britain accounting for another 15%.
A total of 339 homeless people classified as having “no fixed abode” were jailed last year, while 59 people normally resident outside Ireland were sent to prison.
For the first time since 2008, less than 1 in 10 individuals sent to prison last year were females.
A total of 378 women were committed in 2021, representing 9.5% of all prisoners.
In contrast, more than 1 in 5 of all prisoners incarcerated during 2015 were females when almost 3,000 women were jailed.
The figures also show that women are more likely to receive shorter sentences with 85% of female prisoners sentenced to 12 months or less last year compared to 69% of males.
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