Over a quarter of offenders in Northern Ireland are first-time entrants to the criminal justice system
Date published:
New official statistics published today by NISRA statisticians in the Department of Justice present information on first-time entrants to the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland for the 2023/24 financial year.
The justice system continued to work through the backlog of cases created by the Covid-19 pandemic during this period. The numbers recorded, to some extent, reflect the impact of measures introduced to assist with that recovery.
Key findings:
- In 2023-24, 26.5% (7,871) of all offenders dealt with by the criminal justice system were first-time entrants, an increase of 0.7 percentage points from 25.8% in the previous year
- 25.0% (1,968) of first offences resulted in a formal diversionary disposal, with the remaining 75.0% (5,903) receiving convictions
- Young offenders were more likely to receive diversions, with 86.8% (573) of first-time entrants aged 10-17 receiving a diversionary disposal
- Nearly six in ten first offences (59.1% or 4,655) were motoring offences
- Males accounted for the majority of first-time entrants at 69.9% (5,498)
- For first offences, monetary penalties (60.9%) and diversions (25.0%) were the most common disposals, with imprisonment accounting for only 2.7%
About the publication
This bulletin, produced in accordance with the pillars and principles set out in the Code of Practice for Statistics, provides an overview of the structure of the known offending population in 2023-24, along with information on the breakdown of offences committed by new offenders and the disposals received.
The report includes:
- Demographic analysis of first-time entrants
- Detailed breakdowns of offence types and disposal methods
- Comparisons with previous years' data
- Methodology and data quality information
Further information
Read the full report: First-Time Entrants to the Criminal Justice System Northern Ireland 2023-24