Shocking levels of reoffending revealed in 'criminal merry-go-round'
Thousands of crimes were committed by previous offenders in just one year, new figures show.
Around a third of criminals reoffend, according to a new report.
It comes as the probation watchdog says criminals sentenced to short prison terms are locked in a ‘merry-go-round’ that leaves the public at risk.
Ministry of Justice data shows that out of almost 12,000 offenders in the Black Country and Stafford, around 4,000 went on to reoffend within a year.
The figures, for July 2016 to June 2017, account for criminals either released from prison, receiving a non-custodial conviction at court, or cautioned by police.
The report from HM Inspectorate of Probation highlights shortcomings in the system for managing offenders.
It includes figures showing 64 per cent of adults released from custodial terms of less than 12 months reoffended within a year, committing crime estimated to cost the economy £7 billion to £10 billion per year.
From 2015, every criminal given a jail term became subject to statutory supervision and rehabilitation upon release into the community.
Before this change, which was designed to reduce reoffending, convicts who had served less than one year did not have to be supervised by probation services. But the inspection report found there had been “no tangible reduction” in reoffending.
PCC: Work to 'break cycle of crime'
The Police and Crime Commissioner for the West Midlands is urging organisations to work together to ‘break the cycle of crime’.
David Jamieson said he was working on schemes to make sure ex-offenders are able to get back into work and into society – meaning they are less likely to commit a crime again.
His words came as new Ministry of Justice data showed that nearly 30 per cent of offenders in the Black Country released from prison, convicted at court, or cautioned by police went on to reoffend within just one year.
It also came as the Government revealed a new initiative to give prison inmates work experience, helping them to find employment on their release and reducing their chances of reoffending.
Officials at the HM Inspectorate of Probation said criminals sentenced to short prison terms were locked in a vicious cycle that leaves the public at risk and costs billions of pounds a year.
The data revealed that of the 11,946 offenders in Wolverhampton, Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Stafford between July 2016 and June 2017, 3,394 went on to reoffend within 12 months. Those offenders had either been freed from prison, received a non-custodial conviction at court, or were cautioned by police
The worst offending area out of the five was Walsall, with 32 per cent of offenders committing crimes in one year, within that time frame.
Mr Jamieson said he was looking at ways with West Midlands Police, and other groups, to make sure criminals who have been stopped once, do not go back to a life of crime.
He said: “It is important to ensure criminals are caught and justice is served, but we must invest in schemes to break the cycle of crime.
“The Government’s failed experiment on privatising probation has caused high levels of reoffending, which have contributed to large rises in crime that people have experienced.
“Investment in programmes to get ex-offenders back into employment, has proven to break the cycle of crime.
“I’ve asked organisations to reach out to those with a criminal record and offer them a chance to rehabilitate into society.”
He added: “I have invested in restorative justice, an initiative that is proven to reduce harm and help people put a traumatic incident behind them. It also helps prevent reoffending by ensuring those guilty of a crime see the harm caused.
“Supporting schemes such as these, helps to break the cycle of violence and get ex-offenders back into work.”
Local figures
Broken down into individual areas, the data showed that of the 1,969 offenders in Dudley released from prison, received a non-custodial conviction at court, or were cautioned by police between July 2016 and June 2017, 533 went on to reoffend within a year – 27 per cent. Between them, they committed 2,113 new offences. The rate of reoffending was even higher among juvenile offenders – 59 of the 187 under-18s – 32 per cent – went on to commit another crime within a year of being released from custody or given a non-custodial sentence.
In Sandwell it was 935 out of 3,250 offenders who had committed another crime within the year. Between them, they committed 3,538 new offences.
Again, the rate of reoffending was even higher among juvenile offenders – 108 of the 275 under-18s – 39 per cent – went on to commit another crime within a year.
In Walsall the data showed that of the 2,273 offenders released, 723 went on to reoffend in 12 months – 32 per cent. And in Wolverhampton it was 975 out of 3,216.
In Wolverhampton the rate of reoffending was even higher among younger offenders – 115 of the 265 under 18s went on to commit a crime in one year – that’s 43 per cent. In Walsall it was about the same, at 32 per cent.
And over in Stafford, 228 offenders who were released or cautioned in the same time frame went on to reoffend – out of 788, which is 29 per cent.
Again, it was higher among juveniles with 16 of the 31 under 18s going on to commit a crime again.
The trend is similar in the area covered by West Mercia Police.
Its police and crime commissioner John Campion today welcomed the move to bring probation back into public management and said only a combined approach from a number of authorities would help to tackle reoffending.
He said police and probation would need help from health services, courts and councils.
He said: “Reoffending rates are a problem nationwide. Bringing probation back into the public sector is welcome, but more needs to be done across the board.”
Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “Chris Grayling’s decision to extend post-release supervision and place it in the hands of private companies has ended in failure, as we and others warned it would.”
