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Written Question
Prison Sentences
Wednesday 6th December 2017

Asked by: Lord Marks of Henley-on-Thames (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many prisoners in England and Wales who had been released after serving a prison sentence of less than a year went on to re-offend in each of the last five years.

Answered by Lord Keen of Elie - Shadow Minister (Justice)

The proven reoffending data for the last five years, for those released from a custodial sentence of less than 12 months is contained in the table below:

New Data Source

Jan-Mar 2011

Apr-Jun 2011

Jul-Sep 2011

Oct-Dec 2011

Adult offenders

Proportion of offenders who reoffend (%)

62.5

62.2

62.8

61.4

Adjusted2011 proportion of offenders who reoffend (%)

62.5

62.3

62.6

61.4

Average OGRS4/G score

55.6

55.5

55.8

55.5

Average number of reoffences per reoffender

5.53

5.43

5.50

5.47

Number of reoffences

28,160

29,026

30,157

29,827

Number of reoffenders

5,096

5,341

5,483

5,448

Number of offenders in cohort

8,148

8,586

8,726

8,876

Juvenile offenders

Proportion of offenders who reoffend (%)

79.7

80.8

74.1

71.8

Average number of reoffences per reoffender

5.01

4.70

4.49

4.48

Number of reoffences

1,237

1,171

1,077

1,196

Number of reoffenders

247

249

240

267

Number of offenders in cohort

310

308

324

372

All offenders

Proportion of offenders who reoffend (%)

63.2

62.9

63.2

61.8

Average number of reoffences per reoffender

5.50

5.40

5.46

5.43

Number of reoffences

29,397

30,197

31,234

31,023

Number of reoffenders

5,343

5,590

5,723

5,715

Number of offenders in cohort

8,458

8,894

9,050

9,248

Jan-Mar 2012

Apr-Jun 2012

Jul-Sep 2012

Oct-Dec 2012

Adult offenders

Proportion of offenders who reoffend (%)

61.6

62.6

62.2

62.1

Adjusted2011 proportion of offenders who reoffend (%)

60.7

61.8

61.5

61.4

Average OGRS4/G score

56.4

56.4

56.2

56.3

Average number of reoffences per reoffender

5.45

5.58

5.70

5.68

Number of reoffences

29,585

30,320

30,811

30,957

Number of reoffenders

5,426

5,429

5,407

5,452

Number of offenders in cohort

8,814

8,675

8,698

8,775

Juvenile offenders

Proportion of offenders who reoffend (%)

74.5

69.1

81.6

74.8

Average number of reoffences per reoffender

4.58

4.60

4.50

4.49

Number of reoffences

1,109

865

1,080

812

Number of reoffenders

242

188

240

181

Number of offenders in cohort

325

272

294

242

All offenders

Proportion of offenders who reoffend (%)

62.0

62.8

62.8

62.5

Average number of reoffences per reoffender

5.42

5.55

5.65

5.64

Number of reoffences

30,694

31,185

31,891

31,769

Number of reoffenders

5,668

5,617

5,647

5,633

Number of offenders in cohort

9,139

8,947

8,992

9,017

Jan-Mar 2013

Apr-Jun 2013

Jul-Sep 2013

Oct-Dec 2013

Adult offenders

Proportion of offenders who reoffend (%)

63.7

63.9

64.4

63.7

Adjusted2011 proportion of offenders who reoffend (%)

62.2

62.5

62.6

61.7

Average OGRS4/G score

57.1

57.0

57.5

57.6

Average number of reoffences per reoffender

5.82

5.71

5.98

5.92

Number of reoffences

29,430

30,303

31,101

31,014

Number of reoffenders

5,053

5,309

5,199

5,239

Number of offenders in cohort

7,934

8,307

8,067

8,221

Juvenile offenders

Proportion of offenders who reoffend (%)

78.8

73.7

77.5

79.3

Average number of reoffences per reoffender

4.81

5.28

5.04

4.86

Number of reoffences

875

665

675

724

Number of reoffenders

182

126

134

149

Number of offenders in cohort

231

171

173

188

All offenders

Proportion of offenders who reoffend (%)

64.1

64.1

64.7

64.1

Average number of reoffences per reoffender

5.79

5.70

5.96

5.89

Number of reoffences

30,305

30,968

31,776

31,738

Number of reoffenders

5,235

5,435

5,333

5,388

Number of offenders in cohort

8,165

8,478

8,240

8,409

Jan-Mar 2014

Apr-Jun 2014

Jul-Sep 2014

Oct-Dec 2014

Adult offenders

Proportion of offenders who reoffend (%)

65.1

64.0

64.0

64.4

Adjusted2011 proportion of offenders who reoffend (%)

62.7

61.5

62.3

61.9

Average OGRS4/G score

58.0

58.1

57.3

58.0

Average number of reoffences per reoffender

6.09

6.13

6.14

6.08

Number of reoffences

30,614

29,777

30,493

30,313

Number of reoffenders

5,025

4,856

4,967

4,982

Number of offenders in cohort

7,722

7,591

7,760

7,741

Juvenile offenders

Proportion of offenders who reoffend (%)

78.0

77.6

75.6

79.6

Average number of reoffences per reoffender

4.98

5.13

5.50

5.54

Number of reoffences

777

728

666

693

Number of reoffenders

156

142

121

125

Number of offenders in cohort

200

183

160

157

All offenders

Proportion of offenders who reoffend (%)

65.4

64.3

64.2

64.7

Average number of reoffences per reoffender

6.06

6.10

6.12

6.07

Number of reoffences

31,391

30,505

31,159

31,006

Number of reoffenders

5,181

4,998

5,088

5,107

Number of offenders in cohort

7,922

7,774

7,920

7,898

Jan-Mar 2015

Apr-Jun 2015

Jul-Sep 2015

Oct-Dec 2015

Adult offenders

Proportion of offenders who reoffend (%)

63.7

62.6

61.3

65.5

Adjusted2011 proportion of offenders who reoffend (%)

61.9

61.2

60.1

61.7

Average OGRS4/G score

57.4

57.0

56.8

59.5

Average number of reoffences per reoffender

6.21

6.00

5.93

6.01

Number of reoffences

28,285

28,074

26,349

34,641

Number of reoffenders

4,558

4,682

4,441

5,767

Number of offenders in cohort

7,157

7,479

7,247

8,798

Juvenile offenders

Proportion of offenders who reoffend (%)

78.6

75.6

70.4

69.4

Average number of reoffences per reoffender

5.60

5.73

5.71

5.86

Number of reoffences

677

567

639

545

Number of reoffenders

121

99

112

93

Number of offenders in cohort

154

131

159

134

All offenders

Proportion of offenders who reoffend (%)

64.0

62.8

61.5

65.6

Average number of reoffences per reoffender

6.19

5.99

5.93

6.00

Number of reoffences

28,962

28,641

26,988

35,186

Number of reoffenders

4,679

4,781

4,553

5,860

Number of offenders in cohort

7,311

7,610

7,406

8,932

Notes

1. These figures have been derived from administrative IT systems, which as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

2. A proven reoffence is defined as any offence committed in a one year follow-up period that leads to a court conviction, caution, reprimand or warning in the one year follow-up or within a further six month waiting period to allow the offence to be proven in court.

3. Number of offenders in each disposal category do not sum to the total number of offenders. This is due to a difference in methodology to provide a realistic and relevant view of proven reoffending by disposal type. The first event within each disposal is taken as the start point. Therefore, some offenders will appear in more than one disposal category.

4. From October 2015 onwards, reoffending data are collected using different data sources to previous quarters. Therefore, users should be cautious when making any comparison between the October to December 2015 cohort and earlier cohorts.

5. The average OGRS4/G (Offender Group Reconviction Scale) score is used to control for some differences in offender characteristics across different offender groups. OGRS4/G is based on a well-established, peer-reviewed methodology for assessing and representing reoffending risk.

6. Adjusted2011 proportion of offenders who reoffend (%) is the OGRS4/G-adjusted reoffending rate for a given cohort. It is calculated as the observed reoffending rate for that cohort plus any difference between the OGRS4/G score in that cohort and the 2011 baseline cohort. This calculation standardises the mix of offenders in each cohort to the 2011 mix for that same cohort.


Written Question
Prison Sentences
Monday 4th December 2017

Asked by: Lord Marks of Henley-on-Thames (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many prisoners currently in prison in England and Wales are serving sentences of a year or less; and of these, how many prisoners are expected to still be serving their sentence on 25 December.

Answered by Lord Keen of Elie - Shadow Minister (Justice)

Prison population data is published on an end of month basis. The prison population for those serving a sentence of less than a year on 31 December 2016 was 5,954. This information is contained in Offender Management Statistics Quarterly (OMSQ), Table 1.1, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/654646/prison-population-30-september-2017.xlsx

As at 30 September 2017, there were 6,141 prisoners serving sentences of less than a year; of whom, 624 had a release date on, or after, the 27 December 2017 and would therefore normally be serving their sentence in custody on 25 December.


Written Question
Prison Sentences
Monday 4th December 2017

Asked by: Lord Marks of Henley-on-Thames (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, of those in prison in England and Wales on 25 December 2016, how many were serving sentences of less than a year.

Answered by Lord Keen of Elie - Shadow Minister (Justice)

Prison population data is published on an end of month basis. The prison population for those serving a sentence of less than a year on 31 December 2016 was 5,954. This information is contained in Offender Management Statistics Quarterly (OMSQ), Table 1.1, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/654646/prison-population-30-september-2017.xlsx

As at 30 September 2017, there were 6,141 prisoners serving sentences of less than a year; of whom, 624 had a release date on, or after, the 27 December 2017 and would therefore normally be serving their sentence in custody on 25 December.


Written Question
Legal Representation
Tuesday 19th September 2017

Asked by: Lord Marks of Henley-on-Thames (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of litigants in person on the court system.

Answered by Lord Keen of Elie - Shadow Minister (Justice)

Information on numbers of litigants in person is not held centrally.

Unrepresented parties have always been a feature of the civil and family justice system. Since 2015, the Government has invested £5 million of funding to support litigants in person through a range of measures designed to provide additional information, support and guidance.

The Lord Chancellor is currently considering the planned post-implementation review of recent legal aid reforms. An announcement will be made in due course.


Written Question
Legal Representation
Tuesday 19th September 2017

Asked by: Lord Marks of Henley-on-Thames (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the increasing numbers of litigants in person since the reforms contained in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 came into effect.

Answered by Lord Keen of Elie - Shadow Minister (Justice)

Information on numbers of litigants in person is not held centrally.

Unrepresented parties have always been a feature of the civil and family justice system. Since 2015, the Government has invested £5 million of funding to support litigants in person through a range of measures designed to provide additional information, support and guidance.

The Lord Chancellor is currently considering the planned post-implementation review of recent legal aid reforms. An announcement will be made in due course.


Written Question
Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012
Tuesday 19th September 2017

Asked by: Lord Marks of Henley-on-Thames (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to launch a post-implementation consultation on the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012.

Answered by Lord Keen of Elie - Shadow Minister (Justice)

The Lord Chancellor is currently considering the planned post-implementation review of recent legal aid reforms. We will make an announcement in due course.


Written Question

Question Link

Monday 17th July 2017

Asked by: Lord Marks of Henley-on-Thames (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :

Her Majesty's Government how many (1) legally qualified staff, and (2) staff without legal qualifications, now working in the Department for Exiting the European Union (a) have been transferred from, or (b) are on secondment from, the Ministry of Justice.

Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The Department is recruiting the brightest and the best from across the civil service, the wider public sector and the private sector. The Department for Exiting the European Union now has over 450 staff, and is growing fast. The Department for Exiting the European Union obtains its legal advice from the Government Legal Department. We will not be providing a running commentary on particular groups of staff as recruitment is ongoing and numbers are regularly changing. We will ensure we have the right skills to get the best deal for the UK.


Written Question
Prisoners: Suicide
Friday 13th January 2017

Asked by: Lord Marks of Henley-on-Thames (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many female prisoners have been placed on 24-hour watch on at least one occasion in each women’s prison in each of the last 12 months.

Answered by Lord Keen of Elie - Shadow Minister (Justice)

Information about the use of constant supervision in prisons is not centrally collected.

All prisons are required to have procedures in place to identify, manage and support people who are at risk of harm to themselves. These include the Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) process, which is a prisoner-centred, flexible care planning system for those identified as at risk of suicide or self-harm.

A prisoner will be placed under constant supervision where that is determined to be necessary to address an immediate suicidal crisis. Such supervision will be one of a number of supportive measures put in place to manage the risk and will remain in place only for so long as is strictly necessary.


Written Question
Prisoners' Transfers
Monday 9th January 2017

Asked by: Lord Marks of Henley-on-Thames (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many prison transfers owing to shortage of space have taken place in each month over the last 12 months in each prison in England and Wales.

Answered by Lord Keen of Elie - Shadow Minister (Justice)

We are investing £1.3 billion to reform and modernise the prison estate to make it more efficient, safer and focused on supporting prisoner rehabilitation. We will build new prisons and close prisons that are in poor condition and those which do not have a long-term future in the estate. We will also simplify the organisation of the estate so prisoners are placed at the right level of security in prisons with appropriately tailored regimes. This will ensure that the supply of places providing rehabilitation and resettlement services, and those that serve the courts, are balanced with demand.

Data on the number of prisoner transfers due to shortages of space is not held centrally.


Written Question
Reoffenders
Monday 9th January 2017

Asked by: Lord Marks of Henley-on-Thames (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the cost of returning people to prison following breaches of their licences during the last 12 months.

Answered by Lord Keen of Elie - Shadow Minister (Justice)

The recall of offenders who are serving their sentence on licence and in the community is a preventative measure. It is instigated by the probation services only when the offender’s behaviour or non-compliance with their licence conditions suggest that they present as an increased risk of harm to the public or an increased risk of committing further offences.

There has been no estimate of the cost to the various agencies of recalling offenders on licence during the last 12 months, but any such cost would have to be offset by the potential costs arising from the offender remaining in the community and committing further offences.