Sentencing: First Time Offenders

Jenny Willott
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many and what proportion of first time offenders brought before Crown courts were given custodial sentences in each year since 1993; and if he will make a statement;

(2) how many and what proportion of first time offenders given custodial sentences from Crown courts were reconvicted within two years of release from custody in each year since 1993; and if he will make a statement;

(3) how many and what proportion of first time offenders given custodial sentences by magistrates' courts were (a) juveniles and (b) young adults in each year since 1993; how many and what proportion of each category were reconvicted within two years of release in each of those years; and if he will make a statement;

(4) how many and what proportion of first time offenders sentenced by magistrates courts were given custodial sentences in each year since 1993; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Hanson
The following table 1 shows the number of first time offenders sentenced at Crown and magistrates courts from 2000-05 based on a sample of offenders, and the percentage of these given custody. The sample is all offenders sentenced in the first quarter of each year. A first time offender is defined as an offender with no previous convictions or cautions.

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|                        |2000 |2001 |2002 |2003 |2004 |2005 |
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|Crown courts            |     |     |     |     |     |     |
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|Total number sentenced  |2,964|2,900|3,110|2,980|3,033|2,903|
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|Number given custody    |1,440|1,508|1,680|1,490|1,566|1,550|
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|Percentage given custody|49   |52   |54   |50   |52   |53   |
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|                        |     |     |     |     |     |     |
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|Magistrates courts      |     |     |     |     |     |     |
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|Total number sentenced  |7,386|6,785|6,109|6,317|6,254|5,936|
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|Number given custody    |351  |[425 |372  |437  |488  |409  |
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|Percentage given custody|5    |6    |6    |7    |8    |7    |
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Data are not available before 2000.

Table 2 shows the number and percentage of first time offenders given custodial sentences at magistrates courts who were (a) juvenile and (b) young adults.

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|                                                                |2000|2001|2002|2003|2004|2005|
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|Juveniles (aged 10-17)                                          |23  |37  |29  |30  |34  |35  |
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|Percentage of all first time offenders given custodial sentences|7   |9   |8   |7   |7   |9   |
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|Young adults (aged 18-20)                                       |46  |81  |48  |46  |53  |45  |
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|Percentage of all first time offenders given custodial sentences|13  |19  |13  |11  |11  |11  |
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Data on proven re-offending rates are not available for this breakdown of offenders.