More convicted sex offenders live in Belfast; Portadown, Co Armagh; and Cookstown, Co Tyrone, than anywhere else in the North due to the uneven spread of supervised accommodation, an official report said today.
An inspection of hostels for recently released offenders found the three locations housed a disproportionate number of criminals, many of them guilty of sexual offences.
There are six approved premises in the North, four in Belfast and one each in Portadown and Cookstown.
A report by Criminal Justice Inspector Kit Chivers praised the standards in each facility but raised concern that they were not evenly spread across Northern Ireland.
“They do not afford an even geographical spread, with two located in rural towns and the other four unevenly distributed in Belfast,” he noted.
“This can lead to clustering of offenders after they leave the APs [approved premises]."
The Northern Ireland Sex Offender Strategic Management Committee said it would consider the report’s "constructive recommendations" for enhancing of the approved premises estate.
Last year 191 offenders were admitted to the hostels with 226 leaving. All six premises are run by the community and voluntary sector.
PA