HC Deb 29 November 1994 vol 250 cc555-7W
Dr. Lynne Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what are the rates for re-offending for those aged under 21 years within(a) two years and (b) four years in each year since 1990 for those punished

Two year reconviction rates1 for those aged under 21 at commencement of probation and community service orders and for those aged under 21 when sentenced to a custodial sentence by type of original offence2 based on samples of offenders commencing order or discharged during 1990
England and Wales—percentages and numbers
Disposal Theft of a motor Vechile5 All offenders Assault3 Criminal damage4 Burglary in a dwelling Burglary of a building Theft from a motor vehicle4 Theft from shops4
Probation
Reconviction rate 81 70 48 64 76 79 73 64
Number in sample6 446 3,653 321 475 402 534 492 1,161
Community service
Reconviction rate 75 67 66 65 67 75 65 73
Number in sample6 196 1,603 205 172 147 229 245 310

with each of the possible sentences listed in his answer of 20 July, Official Report, columns 267–68, for offences of assault or criminal damage;

(2) what are the rates for re-offending within four years for those aged under 21 years in each year since 1990 for those punished with each of the sentences listed in his answer of 20 July, Official Report, columns 267–68, for the offences of (a) burglary of a dwelling-house and (b) burglary of buildings;

(3) what are the comparable rates for re-offending within two years for those under 21 years in each year since 1990 for those convicted of (i) theft from shops, (ii) theft of a motor vehicle and (iii) theft from a motor vehicle by a sentence of (a) absolute or conditional discharge, (b) fine, (c) bind over of parent, (d) supervision order, (e) attendance centre order, (f) community service order, (g) probation order, (h) combination order and (i) detention in a young offender institution;

(4) what are the rates for re-offending within two years for those aged under 21 years in each year since 1990 for those punished with each of the sentences listed in his answer of 20 July, Official Report, columns 267–68, for the offences of (a) burglary of a dwelling-house and (b) burglary of buildings;

(5) what are the rates for re-offending within four years for those aged under 21 years in each year since 1990 for those punished with each of the sentences listed in his answer of 20 July, Official Report, columns 296–68, for the offences of (a) theft from shops, (b) theft of a motor vehicle and (c) theft from a motor vehicle.

Mr. Maclean

The available information on re-offending is on the rate of reconviction for offenders who commence probation and community service and for sentenced prisoners who are discharged from Prison Service establishments. The latest available information relates to a two-year period following the commencement of an order or the discharge from prison during 1990.

The table gives two-year reconviction rates for those aged under 21 at commencement of their order or aged under 21 when sentenced to a custodial sentence.

These comparisons do not make allowance for the different nature of offenders, with different risks of reconviction, who receive different sentences nor for the fact that for those commencing community penalties there is a greater likelihood of being convicted in the early part of the follow-up period for offences which were committed before the period started. These issues will be addressed in a report in preparation—"Explaining reconviction rates: a critical analysis", a Home Office research study.

Two year reconviction rates1 for those aged under 21 at commencement of probation and community service orders and for those aged under 21 when sentenced to a custodial sentence by type of original offence2 based on samples of offenders commencing order or discharged during 1990
England and Wales—percentages and numbers
Disposal Theft of a motor vehicle5 All offenders Assault3 Criminal damage4 Burglary in a dwelling Burglary of a building Theft from a motor vehicle4 Theft from shops4
Young offender institution
Reconviction rate 89 72 57 60 77 83 75 81
Number in samples6 528 5,932 722 764 825 600 546 970
1 Reconviction rates are for offences on the 'standard list'. These include all indictable offences and more serious summary offences. A definition of standard list offences is contained in Appendices 4 and 5 of "Criminal statistics England and Wales 1993" (Cm 2680).
2 The most recent standard list offence recorded in the period up to and including the commencement or discharge date. This may on occasions not be the offence for which the sentence is passed.
3 This consists of wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm or to resist apprehension, wounding or inflicting grievous bodily harm (inflicting bodily injury with or without a weapon), assault occasioning actual bodily harm, assault with intent to resist apprehension or assault on a person assisting a constable and assault on a constable but does not include common assault as all but a few rare subclasses of common assault are not standard list offences.
4 On account of the relatively low numbers for some of the disposals in the samples for offences of criminal damage, theft from a motor vehicle and theft from shops the quoted figures are based on pooling samples over the period 1987 to 1990.
5 This consists of theft or unauthorised taking of a motor vehicle and stealing and unauthorised taking of a conveyance.
6 The number in the samples are given for information. The reconviction rate based on the smallest sample (ie. that for community service and the offence of burglary in a dwelling) could range by chance by about plus or minus 8 percentage points. The rate will be generally more accurately determined as the numbers sampled increase.

Dr. Lynne Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of 10 to 16-year-olds found guilty or cautioned for each year since 1981.

Mr. Maclean

The information is given in the table.

Number of 10–16 year olds found guilty or cautioned1 for all offences 1981–1993
England and Wales
Year Found guilty Cautioned1 Found guilty and cautioned1
1981 118,260 108,237 226,497
1982 110,018 112,684 222,702
1983 100,445 115,437 215,882
1984 93,271 119,848 213,119
1985 82,631 134,567 217,198
1986 62,630 113,496 176,126
1987 53,597 114,401 167,998
1988 46,850 101,375 148,225
1989 40,373 96,627 137,000
1990 37,255 112,081 149,336
1991 32,544 105,662 138,206
1992 29,006 112,867 141,873
1993 29,260 99,870 129,130
1 Excludes motoring offences.

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