§ Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convicted juveniles aged 15 and 16 years have been given(a) a custodial sentence and (b) a non-custodial sentence in each of the past 10 years; and what has been the reconviction rate in each category. [1682]
§ Beverley HughesData on custodial and non-custodial sentences imposed on 15 and 16-year-olds for standard list offences between 1990 and 1999 are shown in table 1. Reconviction rates for male offenders aged 16 and under at time of sentence and subsequently reconvicted for a standard list offence within two years of discharge from a custodial sentence between 1987 and 1997 are shown in table 2.
Reconviction rates for non-custodial sentences for 15 and 16-year-olds have not routinely been collected. However from a sample of 15 and 16-year-old offenders sentenced during the first half of 1997, 76 per cent. of 205W those given a community penalty and 63 per cent. of those given a fine, discharge or other type of sentence were reconvicted within two years of sentence. Reconviction rates monitoring performance under public service agreement target 10 will be published as a national statistic in due course.
Table 1: number of persons aged 15 and 16 sentenced at all courts for standard list offences, England and Wales 1990–99 Non-custodial sentence Total sentenced Immediate custodial sentence Community penalty Other non-custodial sentence 1990 24,039 1,683 9,257 13,099 1991 21,825 1,739 8,927 11,159 1992 19,372 1,591 7,921 9,860 1993 18,360 1,880 7,691 8,789 1994 22,820 2,299 9,630 10,891 1995 25,457 2,634 10,736 12,087 1996 27,224 3,056 11,673 12,495 1997 27,956 3,235 12,161 12,560 1998 29,983 3,273 13,262 13,448 1999 31,393 3,406 13,624 14,363
Table 2: percentage of young males, aged 16 or under at age of sentence, who were reconvicted for a standard list offence within two years of discharge from custody, England and Wales 1987–97 Percentage reconvicted 1987 83 1988 83 1989 86 1990 89 1991 88 1992 89 1993 89 1994 88 1995 88 1996 85 1997 84