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Recidivism
Mr. Allan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what research his Department has conducted which compares re-offending rates following prison and following alternatives to prison; and if he will make a statement; [40078]
- (2) what were the re-conviction rates in the (a) one year and (b) two years following (i) release from custody and (ii) completion of community sentences in the most recent period for which figures are available; if he will indicate the methodology used; and if he will make a statement; [40028]
(3) what were the re-offending rates for young people leaving custody in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [40085]
Mr. Michael:
The most recent information available on the reconviction rates of those released from custody is based on a sample of sentenced prisoners discharged during the first quarter of 1995. The reconviction rate one year after release is 39 per cent., and after two years is 55 per cent.
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These rates and others quoted in this reply relate to reconvictions for standard list offences. These include all indictable offences and some of the more serious summary offences (a complete list can be found in Appendices 4 and 5 of Criminal Statistics England and Wales, 1996, Cm 3764).
Reconviction rates for community sentences are most commonly quoted in terms of a period following commencement of the order. The most recently available rates for a period following completion of a community sentence (probation or community service) relate to a sample of offenders whose orders commenced in 1987. Completion of an order does not imply completion without reoffending and a proportion of those completing orders will be reconvicted on or before the termination date. The overall reconviction rate within two years of completion for the sample was 50 per cent. (if reconvictions on the termination date are included) but falls to 45 per cent. if reconvictions on the termination date are excluded. The respective rates at one year after completion are 39 and 30 per cent.
Figures in respect of reconviction within two years of commencing an order are more up to date. The most recent available information relates to a sample of
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offenders who commenced probation, community service or combination orders during the first quarter of 1995, of which 42 per cent. had been reconvicted one year after commencement and 56 per cent. after two years.
The methodology used to produce the rates for custody was published in 'Reconvictions of prisoners discharged from prison in 1993, England and Wales' (Home Office Statistical Bulletin 5/97) and for community sentences in 'Reconvictions of those commencing community penalties in 1993, England and Wales' (Home Office Statistical Bulletin 6/97). Copies are in the Library.
| percentage | |
|---|---|
| Period of discharge | Reconvicted |
| 1992 | 71 |
| 1993 | 74 |
| 1994 | 75 |
| 1st quarter of 1995(10) | 75 |
(10) The coverage of standard list offences increased in July 1995 and January 1996. These changes had the effect of increasing the reconviction rate for young offenders discharged in the first quarter of 1995 from 74 per cent. to 75 per cent. to 75 per cent.
The most recent detailed analysis of reconviction results is contained in Home Office Research Study 136. This used a two year follow-up for reconviction rates and is based on samples of offenders released from prison or commencing orders in 1987. After taking account of the characteristics of offenders and pseudo-reconvictions the authors concluded:
Their results are broadly in line with those obtained from more recent samples of offenders described above. Some limited comparisons of those fined or conditionally discharged in 1993 have been made with rates for other disposals. A summary of results was presented to the Home Affairs Committee Inquiry into alternatives to prison sentences.
Research on the relationships between social factors and reconviction rates for those given community sentences is currently underway.
Mr. Clappison:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the number of drug treatment orders which will be made in the first full year of operation of the orders. [40139]
Mr. George Howarth:
The purpose of piloting the drug treatment and testing order in three areas will be to evaluate its cost, effectiveness, and the demand for it from
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the courts. It is not possible at this stage to estimate with any accuracy how many orders will be made in the first full year of operation.
Mr. Clappison:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the number of drug testing and treatment orders which will be made in each of the pilot areas under the Crime and Disorder Bill [Lords] in (a) 1998-99 and (b) 1999-2000. [40138]
Mr. George Howarth:
Each of the areas will receive an equal share of the funding available for the pilot and should make approximately the same number of drug treatment and testing orders. We estimate that the funds available will purchase 150-250 drug treatment and testing orders per annum, depending on the type of treatment proposed in each case. It would seem reasonable to assume that approximately one-third of these would be made in 1998-99 and two-thirds in 1999-2000.
Mr. Clappison:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans the Government have to implement section 9 of the Crime (Sentences) Act 1997. [40212]
Mr. Michael:
The Government plan to implement section 9 of the Crime (Sentences) Act 1997 early next year, subject to the satisfactory completion of pilots currently in progress. Section 9 requires a court, on passing a sentence of imprisonment, to identify the number of days spent on remand in custody or police detention by the defendant that are to be credited against the sentence imposed. It is essential that the courts have confidence in the remand information when sentencing. Pilots have been running since January with the aim of establishing a reliable system for passing remand details to the court.
The Crime and Disorder Bill currently before Parliament contains technical amendments to section 9 consequential on the Government's decisions to repeal certain measures in the Crime (Sentences) Act 1997. Rules, which are subject to the affirmative resolution procedure, are being drafted to govern the disallowing of remand time in cases where there are consecutive or wholly or partly concurrent sentences, and where some or all of a remand in custody is concurrent with a sentence of imprisonment.
Mrs. May:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the changed arrangements for embarkation control at United Kingdom ports and airports, with particular reference to (a) the manning of closed circuit television monitors, (b) the training of staff to monitor CCTV equipment, (c) which categories of immigration officers are being trained to monitor CCTV equipment, (d) how many immigration officers have been re-deployed as a result of the changes and (e) how many of these have been seasonal immigration officers. [40310]
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Mr. Mike O'Brien:
Implementation of the new embarkation arrangements which I announced on 16 March commenced on 14 April. The transition is running smoothly. The answers to the hon Lady's specific questions are as follows:
Sir Michael Spicer:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to give greater powers to the police to evict travellers who are occupying private land against the wishes of the owners of the land. [40165]
Mr. Michael
[holding answer 29 April 1998]: We will consider any proposals for strengthening the law if this will have a practical effect in helping the police to be more effective. The police already have wide powers under sections 61 and 62 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 to remove trespassers and their vehicles where they have, for example, been abusive to the owner, a member of his family or his agent; or they have between them six or more vehicles. These powers complement the powers available to local authorities under sections 77 and 78 of the Act to direct unauthorised campers to leave land. Decisions about how to enforce the criminal law are an operational matter for chief police officers.
"The key finding of this study--in common with previous studies--is that there was little difference between actual and predicted reconviction rates, suggesting that sentence on its own did not have a major impact upon the likelihood of reconviction. We found no clear evidence to suggest that custody outperformed community penalties or vice versa in preventing reoffending".
(a) the closed circuit television (CCTV) monitor will be staffed on the basis of operational need and intelligence received by the respective enforcement agencies;
(b) basic instruction by an established company in this field has already been delivered and further training is being planned.
(c) a number of relevant operational staff in the chief immigration officer, immigration officer and assistant immigration officer grades have received instruction in basic techniques of CCTV monitoring.
(d) we estimate that it should be possible to re-deploy the equivalent of up to a maximum of 90 permanent posts in a full year once all the changes have been made; and
(e) it is unlikely that in the long term any seasonal immigration officers will be re-deployed.
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