Cost of prisoners falls
OVER the past five years the average annual cost of keeping a prisoner in Magilligan jail has been cut by over £7,000, the Justice Minister has revealed.
Back in 2005/6 the cost of keeping a prisoner in the County Londonderry facility was £60,809. This rose to £61,783 in 2006/7 but since then has fallen steadily to just £52,890 last year.
The average cost per prisoner place also fell from £75,897 to £69,032 during the same period at Maghaberry. Only at Hydebank Wood did it rise from £69,722 to £74,100. The Minister revealed the figure in response to an Assembly Question.