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Young Offenders: Sentencing

Volume 468: debated on Monday 26 November 2007

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) 15, (b) 16 and (c) 17-year-olds were given custodial sentences in each police force area in each year since 1997; and what average length of sentence was given to each group in each year. (167103)

The information requested is contained in the following tables.

Figures for 2006 will be published in mid-December.

Table 1: Persons aged 15 to 17 sentenced to immediate custody by police force area and age, England and Wales, 1997 to 2005

Number of persons

1997

1998

1999

Police force area

Age 15

Age 16

Age 17

Age 15

Age 16

Age 17

Age 15

Age 16

Age 17

Avon and Somerset

11

30

55

9

26

48

2

21

45

Bedfordshire

23

30

55

21

63

47

23

41

52

Cambridgeshire

13

21

45

8

25

44

15

28

48

Cheshire

13

41

58

18

29

60

21

27

63

City of London

2

Cleveland

24

50

73

19

30

77

17

30

66

Cumbria

15

23

28

10

17

45

16

16

38

Derbyshire

19

34

46

23

35

56

26

44

79

Devon and Cornwall

19

37

49

7

31

66

13

17

59

Dorset

4

12

28

5

13

32

15

16

30

Durham

18

36

41

20

31

67

30

54

67

Essex

30

65

91

19

62

112

26

37

83

Gloucestershire

2

4

43

7

4

26

3

10

24

Greater Manchester

90

182

316

94

182

290

117

185

280

Hampshire

23

33

85

22

66

73

41

93

120

Hertfordshire

9

14

37

6

13

26

5

18

34

Humberside

20

52

77

33

46

87

20

57

91

Kent

27

67

74

31

78

105

24

45

77

Lancashire

30

76

120

31

65

113

27

78

104

Leicestershire

56

72

100

26

63

110

28

69

95

Lincolnshire

10

46

6

9

29

10

4

30

Merseyside

34

64

112

24

67

115

30

74

83

Metropolitan Police

174

311

544

166

316

494

151

329

513

Norfolk

4

5

20

7

9

23

7

20

29

North Yorkshire

12

28

36

10

23

38

15

22

56

Northamptonshire

2

11

38

8

25

39

8

29

48

Northumbria

51

121

141

47

105

171

41

102

190

Nottinghamshire

42

72

125

37

76

113

43

64

120

South Yorkshire

53

67

133

41

59

124

20

56

110

Staffordshire

16

26

69

17

32

59

17

45

71

Suffolk

3

16

23

8

11

28

7

23

45

Surrey

7

17

16

6

16

19

10

17

Sussex

9

43

63

10

56

70

14

28

63

Thames Valley

8

43

80

14

47

73

12

38

83

Warwickshire

9

12

23

3

9

19

11

15

24

West Mercia

12

28

50

8

37

50

12

33

70

West Midlands

97

200

332

94

208

335

103

220

358

West Yorkshire

61

98

190

58

105

183

79

131

236

Wiltshire

1

14

20

9

12

18

5

19

25

Dyfed-Powys

3

9

19

5

3

16

3

3

24

Gwent

3

17

39

19

29

53

18

32

46

North Wales

6

11

31

7

13

31

14

19

36

South Wales

40

68

117

59

96

128

55

106

153

England and Wales

1,093

2,170

3,690

1,072

2,242

3,712

1,144

2,308

3,885

Number of persons

2000

2001

2002

Police force area

Age 15

Age 16

Age 17

Age 15

Age 16

Age 17

Age 15

Age 16

Age 17

Avon and Somerset

11

23

50

15

28

42

26

30

58

Bedfordshire

18

20

40

14

17

44

19

24

24

Cambridgeshire

13

20

40

15

30

28

7

23

34

Cheshire

19

30

56

16

36

58

15

27

51

City of London

Cleveland

22

33

62

15

22

41

12

33

47

Cumbria

16

20

35

18

33

38

15

25

23

Derbyshire

21

34

46

19

38

46

14

40

76

Devon and Cornwall

3

15

27

7

11

19

6

9

11

Dorset

10

13

20

5

7

19

14

13

29

Durham

13

32

52

13

28

42

12

23

30

Essex

30

49

59

31

63

104

37

57

95

Gloucestershire

6

16

36

6

12

12

13

13

8

Greater Manchester

127

170

275

128

220

287

113

190

238

Hampshire

59

72

111

34

53

90

47

55

86

Hertfordshire

3

23

48

13

18

34

13

23

44

Humberside

21

31

50

39

40

60

15

35

59

Kent

32

42

64

42

55

88

29

33

77

Lancashire

31

59

100

37

56

87

41

75

97

Leicestershire

30

50

86

47

46

77

25

45

94

Lincolnshire

3

9

29

3

19

33

12

15

17

Merseyside

44

81

113

49

83

124

32

74

,94

Metropolitan Police

173

328

502

177

344

464

184

371

532

Norfolk

7

19

20

13

13

22

5

17

15

North Yorkshire

13

26

53

17

19

44

6

16

25

Northamptonshire

12

8

33

3

24

16

10

18

34

Northumbria

35

63

128

33

81

117

40

68

86

Nottinghamshire

42

55

115

49

50

87

47

72

98

South Yorkshire

43

67

100

36

58

85

33

55

99

Staffordshire

4

44

51

42

34

66

23

38

69

Suffolk

6

13

32

4

12

19

7

9

20

Surrey

1

13

16

10

13

25

4

9

20

Sussex

11

27

61

22

35

66

22

35

48

Thames Valley

34

61

98

25

61

87

26

53

117

Warwickshire

11

8

39

9

13

23

9

16

29

West Mercia

23

32

56

23

42

63

18

37

53

West Midlands

112

217

332

151

231

345

145

255

318

West Yorkshire

69

113

169

53

139

181

82

129

160

Wiltshire

5

15

30

5

5

15

11

15

17

Dyfed-Powys

1

11

17

8

11

7

5

12

7

Gwent

8

18

32

5

13

21

6

12

17

North Wales

7

28

30

23

18

29

13

27

27

South Wales

55

92

147

71

89

96

45

91

127

England and Wales

1,204

2,100

3,460

1,345

2,220

3,251

1,258

2,217

3,210

Number of persons

2003

2004

2005

Police force area

Age 15

Age 16

Age 17

Age 15

Age 16

Age 17

Age 15

Age 16

Age 17

Avon and Somerset

12

39

47

11

32

58

12

24

39

Bedfordshire

8

25

30

15

24

43

15

32

41

Cambridgeshire

15

30

48

7

23

39

14

13

23

Cheshire

14

50

42

15

19

48

22

42

78

City of London

1

Cleveland

10

26

41

15

17

33

8

28

29

Cumbria

12

14

23

10

18

38

6

18

19

Derbyshire

21

23

51

21

24

39

19

34

46

Devon and Cornwall

4

8

9

1

6

13

6

12

13

Dorset

10

11

16

10

12

12

6

11

21

Durham

13

23

31

6

15

25

10

19

31

Essex

40

46

78

25

66

84

28

48

63

Gloucestershire

3

17

17

11

11

29

12

16

20

Greater Manchester

90

148

218

106

155

236

74

158

230

Hampshire

22

41

67

33

59

79

30

47

81

Hertfordshire

12

24

34

7

17

43

14

39

32

Humberside

19

36

68

47

55

46

34

46

69

Kent

23

39

62

16

29

48

15

42

65

Lancashire

35

46

70

35

46

69

25

47

91

Leicestershire

22

34

72

17

38

60

15

28

42

Lincolnshire

3

18

31

6

6

17

9

4

15

Merseyside

43

59

123

34

63

103

44

66

100

Metropolitan Police

163

237

374

163

275

432

146

270

387

Norfolk

9

6

23

2

10

21

8

6

20

North Yorkshire

8

10

30

7

10

24

6

21

21

Northamptonshire

4

11

21

7

16

33

8

6

12

Northumbria

27

51

75

28

35

62

21

51

58

Nottinghamshire

42

59

100

28

68

75

42

60

97

South Yorkshire

28

47

100

26

52

85

20

52

105

Staffordshire

19

33

52

17

30

59

20

29

45

Suffolk

5

14

26

15

24

26

18

16

31

Surrey

4

25

11

3

11

22

8

15

13

Sussex

21

43

29

15

30

36

17

22

56

Thames Valley

22

33

66

13

29

64

9

27

61

Warwickshire

1

1

15

2

7

13

8

10

18

West Mercia

11

29

44

22

26

58

14

35

47

West Midlands

112

167

265

131

191

275

93

164

234

West Yorkshire

60

113

169

79

115

168

70

143

135

Wiltshire

5

16

12

7

9

23

3

14

9

Dyfed-Powys

6

8

2

3

9

1

3

12

Gwent

10

23

25

17

23

53

20

25

27

North Wales

17

25

32

8

22

42

16

20

38

South Wales

47

64

106

33

78

111

29

62

94

England and Wales

1,046

1,770

2,762

1,073

1,799

2,853

995

1,825

2,668

Note:

These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.

Source:

RDS-NOMS, Ministry of Justice

Table 2: Average determinate custodial sentence length1 for persons aged 15 to 17 sentenced to immediate custody by police force area and age, England and Wales, 1997 to 2005

Average custodial sentence length

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

Police force area

Age 15

Age 16

Age 17

Age 15

Age 16

Age 17

Age 15

Age 16

Age 17

Age 15

Age 16

Age 17

Age 15

Age 16

Age 17

Avon and Somerset

16.2

9.3

8.0

9.3

8.9

8.9

4.0

10.9

8.7

5.9

9.9

7.2

8.5

13.0

8.0

Bedfordshire

6.7

6.9

5.0

11.5

6.1

7.9

7.2

8.7

7.2

4.6

16.8

9.8

10.1

7.2

13.1

Cambridgeshire

8.5

135

11.7

10.1

7.9

9.8

5.1

5.5

7.9

11.5

11.6

11.5

9.9

11.8

8.7

Cheshire

11.1

6.6

9.2

7.7

11.8

11.1

5.3

9.0

8.0

6.9

10.7

9.7

7.6

7.8

7.6

City of London

18.0

Cleveland

7.1

11.2

10.3

8.4

6.7

10.3

3.9

9.0

8.4

10.8

10.5

9.0

8.3

8.7

7.6

Cumbria

3.5

4.7

8.4

10.9

6.4

5.0

13.4

5.5

6.2

4.9

7.7

7.7

6.1

7.3

7.2

Derbyshire

8.7

8.3

11.1

12.3

10.1

7.7

11.5

10.8

10.1

8.2

8.6

8.0

8.7

7.2

10.2

Devon and Cornwall

10.1

7.4

11.4

14.3

5.9

7.8

7.4

9.5

6.9

6.3

7.3

6.8

17.4

14.5

22.8

Dorset

3.2

5.1

9.6

6.8

7.2

12.8

3.2

4.7

5.5

6.8

4.5

6.9

12.0

5.1

6.8

Durham

5.9

9.3

8.6

6.2

7.4

8.7

3.1

3.7

5.9

6.2

9.3

9.1

6.5

7.1

9.7

Essex

9.5

5.3

7.4

6.9

4.3

6.7

5.6

4.8

6.5

5.5

6.7

8.2

7.6

8.3

8.6

Gloucestershire

2.0

3.5

8.7

8.6

7.8

5.4

2.3

5.5

6.4

17.0

5.0

9.1

7.0

8.3

7.7

Greater Manchester

9.6

7.9

10.7

8.9

10.2

9.1

7.4

9.3

9.1

8.3

9.1

11.2

9.0

10.1

11.1

Hampshire

12.6

12.9

10.1

7.7

4.1

7.5

8.7

6.3

7.3

7.5

7.7

7.5

8.2

7.7

7.4

Hertfordshire

12.0

10.4

6.8

21.2

7.6

4.5

3.2

7.6

10.4

4.0

8.2

13.8

9.7

11.6

9.5

Humberside

6.4

9.6

7.5

6.9

8.8

9.3

6.0

8.0

9.8

11.1

10.7

11.4

9.1

9.0

8.0

Kent

9.1

8.0

8.6

9.1

6.4

6.1

4.6

6.1

7.4

12.0

7.5

9.3

6.1

9.7

7.3

Lancashire

14.6

7.9

7.7

8.0

8.1

6.9

11.6

8.3

11.2

7.5

7.3

8.7

8.9

8.1

9.3

Leicestershire

6.9

8.7

9.0

8.1

7.6

7.3

5.0

8.8

13.4

9.1

8.4

10.7

5.7

7.1

10.9

Lincolnshire

6.4

8.3

4.3

3.7

7.5

17.6

6.8

6.6

17.3

6.7

8.1

19.3

7.0

7.8

Merseyside

7.1

8.4

8.6

4.2

7.1

8.4

4.2

6.8

6.2"

6.6

9.2

8.2

8.1

7.4

8.4

Metropolitan Police

16.5

15.5

13.1

9.1

11.3

12.0

9.9

9.9

11.9

9.4

11.5

12.3

8.6

11.6

11.0

Norfolk

3.8

10.0

9.2

5.8

3.0

8.6

2.9

4.9

5.7

4.6

7.5

9.5

5.1

5.5

6.5

North Yorkshire

7.0

4.5

6.2

4.2

5.0

8.8

8.3

6.0

6.2

7.4

6.3

8.0

12.6

10.8

11.7

Northamptonshire

5.0

5.5

8.4

7.9

10.6

8.3

7.2

8.1

8.9

5.8

13.0

11.5

4.7

20.3

16.6

Northumbria

6.1

10.0

9.7

4.5

7.1

7.3

4.4

7.1

7.6

9.3

8.3

9.8

9.9

10.2

10.5

Nottinghamshire

11.5

12.1

12.2

11.1

15.8

12.0

9.2

11.7

10.8

8.2

11.5

11.5

10.0

7.8

12.2

South Yorkshire

10.9

10.4

10.8

8.4

9.9

11.2

10.7

7.9

7.6

10.9

10.2

10.1

11.7

12.7

12.0

Staffordshire

7.5

7.5

7.8

4.5

9.8

7.5

7.9

6.7

7.3

19.0

9.8

10.9

7.0

7.0

9.8

Suffolk

20.0

6.5

8.8

8.5

4.2

12.0

5.5

6.5

7.7

8.0

10.6

9.9

5.5

12.0

9.9

Surrey

18.4

19.0

20.0

4.5

8.2

5.8

3.4

13.0

4.0

6.1

7.9

5.2

10.5

5.8

Sussex

4.7

6.2

7.8

2.8

6.1

7.2

11.6

11.0

8.7

5.9

11.3

11.2

7.6

7.7

8.6

Thames Valley

4.8

9.1

9.0

3.4

6.8

9.3

9.6

8.9

10.4

5.5

8.6

9.5

8.8

9.9

9.5

Warwickshire

4.4

6.5

8.2

2.3

10.9

12.3

7.6

7.9

10.5

7.6

5.5

13.3

14.2

10.8

17.1

West Mercia

8.6

11.6

14.3

6.4

10.0

11.1

7.2

8.4

9.2

7.5

10.8

12.9

7.0

7.9

10.3

West Midlands

10.1

8.6

9.8

9.8

9.9

10.2

8.0

8.8

8.3

8.1

8.2

10.7

8.5

9.3

9.8

West Yorkshire

9.4

10.0

9.2

8.7

8.7

10.7

8.9

8.2

10.3

8.5

12.1

11.0

8.4

10.4

11.9

Wiltshire

2.0

15.8

8.8

8.8

9.3

9.4

2.6

8.6

6.7

12.4

8.3

10.8

12.4

6.8

8.4

Dyfed-Powys

6.7

18.0

7.1

23.0

3.3

5.4

13.0

2.7

4.6

4.0

6.1

10.5

5.0

12.7

5.4

Gwent

5.0

13.3

5.3

8.1

5.1

8.2

5.2

3.5

5.5

9.8

17.4

6.2

15.2

12.2

13.9

North Wales

16.5

5.5

7.5

7.7

9.8

8.4

7.4

13.7

5.7

6.6

8.4

11.3

6.9

9.4

8.4

South Wales

6.4

8.7

9.9

6.8

8.3

7.7

6.8

7.1

7.8

7.2

9.0

10.3

7.7

8.2

8.2

England and Wales

10.2

9.8

9.9

8.3

8.7

9.2

7.7

8.2

8.9

8.3

9.5

10.4

8.5

9.7

10.1

Average custodial sentence length

2002

2003

2004

2005

Police force area

15

16

17

15

16

17

15

16

17

15

16

17

Avon and Somerset

7.5

12.2

13.6

9.5

7.4

9.3

9.5

11.4

12.2

8.7

7.8

10.2

Bedfordshire

12.9

10.8

18.1

9.8

14.4

12.6

9.2

9.9

11.6

10.1

8.9

12.7

Cambridgeshire

9.4

11.5

13.8

8.7

13.9

9.7

7.4

12.7

15.3

7.9

14.5

10.7

Cheshire

13.9

9.9

12.2

7.9

11.4

8.8

7.5

18.2

11.5

10.3

13.2

10.3

City of London

18.0

Cleveland

14.3

13.7

13.5

7.2

14.5

15.4

14.0

9.2

10.4

14.5

13.5

9.7

Cumbria

5.7

9.9

9.7

9.1

6.4

9.3

5.8

7.7

10.1

9.0

10.0

13.2

Derbyshire

9.7

11.4

11.8

10.6

11.7

12.2

7.3

8.3

16.3

9.6

8.9

8.6

Devon and Cornwall

14.3

19.0

12.2

5.0

14.4

22.2

24.0

20.7

24.5

14.7

19.5

19.8

Dorset

5.4

6.8

15.9

5.0

4.9

8.4

15.0

5.5

5.8

9.0

20.7

10.1

Durham

9.3

12.3

10.1

10.0

9.4

10.1

10.3

13.5

8.9

6.2

9.4

9.6

Essex

10.7

9.4

6.9

6.4

7.0

8.6

8.1

8.2

8.4

5.4

9.0

10.3

Gloucestershire

12.0

7.4

12.0

12.7

12.1

7.6

8.2

10.2

8.8

7.2

6.8

14.9

Greater Manchester

11.9

13.2

11.8

9.8

10.6

12.5

8.3

10.0

11.2

8.5

10.4

9.8

Hampshire

9.1

10.1

11.2

7.7

11.1

11.9

6.8

7.7

10.3

6.3

9.1

10.4

Hertfordshire

16.2

19.1

12.0

7.0

8.8

20.0

10.9

8.6

14.1

5.0

9.4

10.6

Humberside

6.5

11.3

13.4

7.6

9.4

10.0

9.8

9.7

11.5

7.2

7.7

10.5

Kent

9.1

10.2

9.2

8.3

9.1

10.3

9.6

9.8

9.4

9.7

10.7

10.0

Lancashire

11.2

10.4

10.5

7.3

9.4

10.1

10.9

10.3

10.4

8.2

8.6

13.9

Leicestershire

8.5

8.4

14.2

7.4

7.7

9.5

10.1

10.2

13.1

13.1

10.4

10.9

Lincolnshire

20.0

14.7

16.2

4.0

11.3

11.1

6.0

9.0

12.2

12.2

4.5

13.9

Merseyside

6.6

10.0

13.2

8.0

8.9

9.3

9.5

8.0

11.7

7.8

10.0

11.1

Metropolitan Police

12.3

10.6

14.4

12.0

12.9

14.1

11.3

13.3

15.9

10.8

11.9

14.2

Norfolk

6.4

10.0

8.7

7.8

9.7

12.2

5.0

6.6

10.1

7.2

27.0

8.5

North Yorkshire

9.7

15.2

11.0

12.2

10.8

8.3

9.7

7.4

8.8

13.6

11.9

10.6

Northamptonshire

10.6

13.3

9.4

6.0

7.1

8.8

19.4

10.6

10.5

10.8

8.7

17.2

Northumbria

11.4

8.6

11.2

7.6

8.4

10.8

14.8

7.8

9.4

9.4

11.9

11.3

Nottinghamshire

9.1

13.1

13.4

14.7

11.9

14.9

11.1

12.9

13.9

7.6

8.8

11.9

South Yorkshire

9.2

10.9

17.3

11.2

13.4

11.4

15.1

12.5

15.0

13.2

12.3

12.3

Staffordshire

7.7

9.6

9.0

8.4

9.3

8.5

7.2

11.7

8.8

9.3

9.2

9.6

Suffolk

9.1

20.3

13.4

6.8

7.3

12.5

8.0

8.1

10.5

5.6

5.8

7.7

Surrey

4.5

16.7

8.9

10.5

10.2

9.1

10.0

9.6

14.1

8.8

6.4

17.5

Sussex

7.6

7.7

14.9

10.8

8.9

11.2

7.9

11.9

11.7

6.5

12.1

11.2

Thames Valley

11.3

9.5

12.2

9.8

7.0

11.6

14.9

12.4

12.3

7.2

9.0

9.1

Warwickshire

15.6

9.5

13.8

4.0

12.0

12.3

24.0

14.0

9.8

6.2

25.8

11.1

West Mercia

8.9

10.3

8.7

9.8

7.6

8.6

7.9

9.8

9.6

9.0

7.9

7.2

West Midlands

9.6

9.7

10.8

8.6

9.9

10.7

8.9

8.6

10.9

8.4

10.1

10.2

West Yorkshire

9.7

11.1

13.4

9.9

9.7

11.5

9.2

11.9

12.5

7.5

11.9

12.2

Wiltshire

6.9

13.7

8.9

11.2

10.1

8.5

5.4

11.1

10.7

13.3

10.3

13.5

Dyfed-Powys

6.8

10.3

12.0

6.0

7.2

8.0

6.0

5.3

4.0

6.0

7.7

Gwent

6.3

13.5

11.8

15.8

11.8

10.4

8.4

9.7

11.7

7.3

8.7

9.6

North Wales

7.4

6.0

6.1

12.6

7.4

8.6

7.8

13.7

9.6

6.9

6.1

9.5

South Wales

10.1

10.5

11.2

8.0

10.3

7.6

7.2

10.1

10.1

7.0

8.5

8.7

England and Wales

10.3

10.9

12.3

9.6

10.3

11.3

9.7

10.6

12.0

8.7

10.5

11.2

1 Excludes life and indeterminate sentences.

Notes:

1. Small numbers of persons may result in high average custodial sentence lengths. Where numbers are low, average custodial sentence lengths are susceptible to bias from individual cases and may not be representative of local sentencing practice.

2. These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.

Source:

RDS-NOMS, Ministry of Justice

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the answers of 16 January 2007, Official Report, columns 1027-28W and 22 May 2007, Official Report, column 1252W, on disorder penalty notices, when he expects the evaluation of the pilot on the issuance of penalty notices for disorder to 10 to 15-year-olds to be completed; and if he will make a statement. (167114)