A total of 79 convicted criminals have absconded from the state’s two low-security ‘open’ prisons since 2014, seven of whom remain at large – including one who has evaded the authorities for a decade.
Loughan House in Co Cavan and Shelton Abbey in Co Wicklow usually accommodate prisoners who are considered to pose a reduced risk to the public or are preparing for release towards the end of their sentences.
New figures released by the Department of Justice show that two inmates absconded from these facilities last year, and neither have been recaptured.
