Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2021

In this publication we are reporting on the prison population as at 31 March 2022, with comparisons to the same point in 2021. Over this 12-month period, the total prison population has risen by around 1,700 (which represents a 2% increase) to 79,773.

The increasing remand population trend that we have seen since early 2020 has continued (a 4% increase between 31 Mar 2021 and 31 Mar 2022). This increase over the past 12 months is only evident in the ‘convicted unsentenced’ component of the remand population (which rose by 17%, compared to a 2% fall in the ‘untried’ population). This likely reflects the impact of partial court recovery following COVID-19 restrictions, resulting in an increase in the number of convicted prisoners awaiting sentence.

Between March 2021 and 2022, there was an increase of 2% in the sentenced prison population. This is the largest annual increase in the sentenced prison population we have seen since 2016 – which (as with the increasing ‘convicted unsentenced’ remand population highlighted above) reflects that the normal flow of individuals from the remand to the sentenced population (after sentencing at court) is continuing to recover following COVID-19 restrictions.

On the topic of COVID-19 recovery, the prison population has not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels; the 31 Mar 2022 prison population is still around 3,200 below the level of 31 Mar 2020.