evidence: ALMOST a fifth of criminals in Northern Ireland re-offended within a year of being released from prison, according to new figures. Re-offending rates in the north also reveal that more than two-fifths of those who re-offended committed the offence within the first three months of release. Figures released by the Department of Justice (DoJ) yesterday show that of 21,493 offenders in 2016/17, there were 3,862 who re-offended within the year following release from custody.