Juvenile Crime (Hansard, 13 July 1994)

§ Mr. Rowe
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the reoffending rate for young people who complete their sentence in an institution compared with that of young people who undertake community service in the community in the last four weeks of their sentence.
663W

§ Mr. Maclean
The information requested is not centrally available.

§ Mr. Rowe
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the estimated cost to the Exchequer of the average young person under 24 years who completes a youth custody sentence from the known commencement of his criminal career.

§ Mr. Maclean
I regret that the available information does not allow any such estimate to be made.

§ Mr. Rowe
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the comparable reoffending rate for young people sentenced to a young offenders institution and young people sentenced to work in the community.

§ Mr. Maclean
The available information is given in the table. The comparison reflects not only the effectiveness of the sentences involved but the different characteristics of offenders receiving the sentences. Research to be published shortly by the Home Office has shown that the criminal history, age and sex of the offender are associated with re-offending. Furthermore, the statistics of reconvictions contain a proportion of convictions relating to additional offences committed before the current sentence was passed.

Percentage of offenders aged under 21 commencing Community Service Orders in 1987 or discharged from prison in 1987 who were reconvicted of a 'standard list' offence³ within two years.

Those discharged from prison service establishments¹ Per cent. Those commencing a community service order² Per cent.

Males 71 65

Females 51 43

¹Source: Prison Statistics England and Wales 1992 (Cm. 2581 HMSO).

²Source: Home Office Statistical Bulletin "Reconvictions of those given Probation and Community Service Orders in 1987" (Issue 18–93).

³Reconviction statistics relate to "standard list" offences as defined in Appendix 4 of "Criminal Statistics England and Wales, 1992" (Cm. 2410).

Percentage of offenders aged under 21 commencing Community Service Orders in 1987 or discharged from prison in 1987 who were reconvicted of a 'standard list' offence³ within two years.
	Those discharged from prison service establishments¹ Per cent.	Those commencing a community service order² Per cent.
Males	71	65
Females	51	43
¹Source: Prison Statistics England and Wales 1992 (Cm. 2581 HMSO).
²Source: Home Office Statistical Bulletin "Reconvictions of those given Probation and Community Service Orders in 1987" (Issue 18–93).
³Reconviction statistics relate to "standard list" offences as defined in Appendix 4 of "Criminal Statistics England and Wales, 1992" (Cm. 2410).