Andrew Carey
CONVICTED criminals in Limerick Prison have been paid over €1.2 million euro in pocketmoney over the last five years, figures have revealed.
The payments, which fall under the daily cash allowance scheme, are part of the €19m paid out across the 14 prison institutions in the five years to 2013.
When in custody, convicted criminals received a daily cash allowance flat rate of €2.35. In 2013, the scheme was changed and a rate of €1.70 was applied to all serving criminals with incentives of an extra .50c applicable to those who were on good behaviour while deductions of .95c were taken from prisoners who were not compliant.
€1 extra can be earned by prisoners who participate in cleaning or maintenance duties.
The 220 male and up to 30 female prisoners at Limerick Prison are entitled to use the money in the prison tuck shop or save it until their release.
Prisoners can also spend .15c of their allowance on daily television rental.
In the five years prior to the 2013 change, €18,922,294 has been the bill footed by the taxpayer in payments given to incarcerated offenders.
Payments made to prisoners by prison for the five year period were, Mountjoy €3.4m; Midlands €2.6; Wheatfield €2.5m and Cloverhill €1.9m; Castlerea €1.4m; Limerick €1.2 and Cork €1.1m.
Just under €600,000 was paid out to prisoners accommodated open security facility of Shelton Abbey with an operational capacity of 115.
