The available information is shown in the following table.
Percentage and number of offenders Number of previous custodial sentences 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 0 34 34 32 30 31 32 33 34 1 14 14 13 13 12 12 12 12 2 10 10 10 9 9 9 8 8 3+ 41 42 45 48 47 48 47 46 All adult offenders (100%) 67,189 67,776 72,965 73,017 74,037 71,049 69,709 69,739
This table has been taken from data published in Chapter 6 of Sentencing Statistics 2007, available at:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/sentencingannual.htm
The table shows the breakdown of how many previous custodial sentences adult offenders had received and covers all types of previous custodial sentences. Information about where the previous custodial sentences were served is not held in the data set used to produce the published tables. It is therefore not possible to identify how many previous custodial sentences had been served at secure training centres or young offender institutions.
These figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the police.