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New research lays bare the social and economic cost of
reoffending
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Reoffending now accounts for over three quarters of all
crimes that result in a caution or sentence
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Fresh evidence suggests community sentences are more
effective than short prison sentences
The intervention comes as new research reveals that repeat
offenders cost society more than £18 billion a year - with
reoffending now accounting for over three quarters of all crime
that result in a caution or sentence.
Speaking to prominent criminal justice stakeholders, charities
and front-line professionals, the Justice Secretary argued that
the tide will only be turned by following an evidence-based
approach and tackling the root causes of reoffending.
He revealed statistics which show that if all current custodial
sentences of less than six months were replaced with community
alternatives there would be around 32,000 fewer offences per year
– drastically reducing the number of people becoming victims of
crime.
Other findings in a number of research documents published today
include:
- 64% of those in prison for six months or less have a drug
misuse problem, compared with just over a third serving a
community order;
- 72% lack the skills and motivation to get or hold down a job,
as opposed to 37% serving a community order;
- 60% do not have a stable or suitable place to live; compared
with 31% on a community order;
- The total social and economic cost of reoffending England and
Wales is now estimated at more than £18.1 billion a year;
- More than half of those costs - some £9.8 billion - are
related to theft offences, which are often driven by underlying
problems such as substance misuse.
Speaking at an event hosted by the Social Market Foundation, Mr
Gauke said:
There is one stark fact facing us: three quarters of all crime
that results in a caution or sentence happens because of
reoffending. We must be fearless in dealing with this.
Whilst long prison sentences will always be right for those who
commit the most serious crimes, particularly of a violent or
sexual nature, the fact is that the vast majority of all
offenders will at some point be released.
I believe the public therefore expect the justice system to
focus on rehabilitation to reduce the risk of subsequent
offending – and the likelihood of them becoming a victim of
crime.
In February, the Justice Secretary set out his vision for a
“smart, not soft” justice system to reduce reoffending, protect
the public and ensure serious criminals receive the punishment
they deserve.
He spoke of the need to look beyond prison, move away from the
revolving door of short custodial sentences and replace them with
robust alternatives in the community that better target the root
causes of offending.
Today, Mr Gauke pointed to new research which showed that those
who serve short prison sentences often have very complex needs,
which are better addressed through a community sentence.
He added:
Those who are sentenced to six months or less spend, on
average, just six weeks in prison. This just isn’t enough time
for any meaningful rehabilitation to take place to successfully
tackle these problems.
Ultimately, that short spell in prison doesn’t protect the
public, doesn’t serve as much of a deterrent and exacerbates
those already deep-rooted difficulties the individual faces.
So, this latest research has further reinforced my view that
moving away from prison sentences of up to six months will
deliver real and positive change, for the offenders to turn
their lives around and for the safety of the public.
He said that there were different ways that this could be
achieved:
A bar to prevent the courts using them, or a less prescriptive
presumption against their use. Or you could consider combining
these options, applying a presumption to sentences of up to 12
months.
I think there’s a strong case to explore this, given the
evidence.
However, he was clear that there should be exceptions to any bar
on short prison sentences, adding:
Our first responsibility must be to the victims of crime and we
should not do anything to compromise their safety. For this
reason, a bar should not apply to offences of physical or
sexual assault, so that in the right cases courts will be able
to impose a short prison sentence.
He also emphasised the need to uphold the authority of the court:
There are several offences which involve a disregard for court
orders or its authority, where the possibility of a short
prison sentence should be retained.
For those repeat offenders who have been given community orders
and who wilfully and persistently fail to comply with them,
they need to know that they cannot get away with it with
impunity.
In addition, he argued that consideration must be given to other
offences which raise issues of public protection, where a short
prison sentence should continue to be an option – for example,
knife crime.
To underpin these reforms, Mr Gauke has overseen investment of
hundreds of millions of pounds to improve prisons, boost
rehabilitation, and overhaul the probation system to better
support offenders in turning their backs on crime.
On probation, he said:
Crucial to the success of any reform of sentencing is a strong
probation system. Two months ago, I announced plans to reform
our probation system, which will allow for much more robust
community sentences and that will command the confidence of the
courts.
We will be ending Community Rehabilitation Company contracts
early and streamlining responsibilities for public, private and
voluntary sector partners.
That means a stronger role for the National Probation Service
in managing all offenders, greater voluntary sector involvement
in rehabilitation, and the private sector leading where it has
specialist experience and where it can support innovation in
rehabilitating offenders and organising Unpaid Work placements.
A strengthened probation system will significantly improve the
services that have been shown to help turn offenders away from
crime – be it housing support, help finding a job, or
crucially, help to turn away from drink or drugs or treat
mental health issues.
Mr Gauke also stressed the vital role new technology has to play
in bolstering community orders, pointing to findings from a GPS
tagging pilot which found that most offenders felt that wearing a
tag would help them make positive changes in their lives.
Announcing plans to build on this success by rolling out a
variation of this service for children in the autumn, he said:
Technology, like GPS tagging, will help to give judges and
magistrates more confidence to use community sentences in more
cases.
And I’m ambitious about what we can do in the future – using
new technology and thinking innovatively about how we can be
both punish and rehabilitate in the community.
Through our probation reforms – and with some bold thinking
about what community sentences look like in the future – we
will see a successful shift away from ineffective short prison
sentences towards more effective ways of rehabilitating
offenders.
Mr Gauke also insisted that any approach must be based on safe,
secure and decent prisons. He cited how the ‘Ten Prisons
Project’, has focussed on improving standards in the most
challenging prisons, alongside extra urgent funding and measures
to tackle drugs and violence across the estate and significantly
increasing the number prison officers.
He pointed to action aimed at boosting rehabilitation, such as
the Education and Employment Strategy, putting education, skills
and jobs at the heart of prison regimes. He said:
As well as helping those in prison prepare for work, I have
also been keen to remove barriers and tackle prejudice that
ex-offenders all too often face in trying to get a job.
As I announced this week, we intend to legislate so that for
the first time, some sentences of more than four years will no
longer have to be disclosed to employers after an appropriate
period of time has passed.
Mr Gauke’s approach towards combatting reoffending has received
significant backing by leading figures in the justice system,
including PCCs, charities and organisations working with
offenders.
Concluding his speech, Mr Gauke said:
I believe that the approach that I’ve set out today – indeed
the approach I have set out in the last 18 months – is one that
is most likely to be effective in reducing reoffending and
therefore reducing crime.
I am aware that it is an approach that will not have universal
support but I have taken great encouragement from the
widespread support for an evidence-led, rehabilitative and
humane agenda.
It is my hope that in the years ahead – whoever has the
privilege of being Justice Secretary – it is an approach that
will be pursued with persistence and determination and courage.
And that it will help deliver a safer and more civilised
society.
Notes to editors
Today the Ministry of Justice published a range of research
publications and statistics:
In a letter published in the Telegraph today, several
organisations working within the criminal justice system backed a
move away from short custodial sentences. It included signatures
from:
- Christina Marriott, Chief Executive, Revolving Doors Agency
-
, Staffordshire
Commissioner: Police-Fire & Rescue, Crime
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, Police and Crime
Commissioner for West Yorkshire
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, Police and Crime
Commissioner for Surrey
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, West Midlands Police and
Crime Commissioner
- Frances Crook, Chief Executive, Howard League for Penal
Reform
- Peter Dawson, Director, Prison Reform Trust
- Campbell Robb, Chief Executive, Nacro
- Rob Owen OBE, Chief Executive, St Giles Trust
- Anne Fox, Chief Executive, Clinks
- Kate Paradine, Chief Executive, Women in Prison
- Rt Rev James Langstaff, Lead Anglican Bishop for Prisons
- Rt Rev Richard Moth, Lead Catholic Bishop for Prisons
- Phil Bowen, Director, Centre for Justice Innovation
- Ben Kernighan, Chief Executive, Leap Confronting Conflict
- Andy Keen-Downs, Chief Executive, PACT
- Sarah Hughes, Chief Executive, Centre for Mental Health
- Penelope Gibbs, Director, Transform Justice
- Anna Herrmann, Co-Director, Clean Break
- Jemima Olchawski, Chief Executive, Agenda
- Nina Champion, Director, Criminal Justice Alliance
- Rose Mahon, Head of Excellence and Development, the Nelson
Trust
- Helen Schofield, Acting Chief Executive, Probation Institute
- Rohati Chapman, Chief Executive, Khulisa
