A new study shows that 37% of offenders who were given an alternative to prison by the courts had re-offended.

The study carried out by the Probation Service shows that re-offending was higher among males than females and those convicted of public order offences were the most likely to commit another crime.

This is the first major study into the rates of re-offending by people under the management of the Probation Service.

It shows that offenders who were given an alternative to prison re-offended in 37% of cases.

Public order more likely to re-offend

Re-offending was higher among males who make up more than 4/5 of the prison population.

And people convicted of public order offences were the most likely to find themselves before the courts again followed by theft and drugs offences.

The Justice Minister Alan Shatter welcomed the study saying it was the first time  there has been an assessment of the impact of non-custodial measures on the rates of re-offending.