Shropshire Star

Shocking levels of reoffending revealed in 'criminal merry-go-round'

Thousands of crimes were committed by previous offenders in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin in just a year, figures show.

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More than a quarter 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 1,651 offenders in Telford & Wrekin, 482 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.

Between them, they committed 2,070 new offences. They had each committed an average of 16.8 crimes previously.

Ministry of Justice data for the West Midlands and Wales

For Shropshire 428 of the 1,818 offenders went on to re-offend.

They committed 1,704 new offences, and had each committed an average of 12.5 crimes previously. In Powys 185 out of 818 reoffended.

The rate of reoffending in Telford and Shropshire was even higher among juvenile offenders – 38 of the 113 under-18s in Telford went on to commit another crime. In Shropshire it was 41 of the 160.

A report from HM Inspectorate of Probation highlighted shortcomings in the system for managing offenders in England and Wales. The figures show that extra monitoring of offenders had failed to stop them returning to crime.

Earlier this year, Justice Secretary David Gauke said there was a “very strong case” for abolishing sentences of six months or less, with some exceptions, such as for violent or sexual crimes.

Chief Inspector of Probation Dame Glenys Stacey said that such a move was “unlikely to be effective without other changes”.

She added: “In my view, a system-wide approach as well as much more purposeful probation supervision is needed. Without it, individuals are locked in an expensive merry-go-round of criminal justice processes and the public are left at undue risk.”

Cycle of crime must be tackled by us all

A holistic approach is needed to break the cycle of re-offending, according to the region’s crime commissioner.

John Campion, Police and Crime Commissioner for West Mercia, was speaking after figures revealed that thousands of crimes in the county are committed by previous offenders.

It also follows the Government’s announcement that attempts to privatise the probation service were being abandoned, after being deemed unsuccessful.

Attempts to improve reoffending rates by monitoring criminals more closely have failed, according to today’s figures.

It was announced today that rules would now be relaxed on allowing inmates to go on work experience, helping them into employment at the end of their sentence.

In Shropshire 910 out of 3,469 offenders between July 2016 and June 2017, went on to re-offend. Those offenders had either been released from prison, received a non-custodial conviction at court or were cautioned by police.

Powys saw 185 out of 818 re-offend.

John Campion

Combined they were responsible for another 4,313 crimes.

The figures mean that 29 per cent in Telford & Wrekin re-offended. The reoffending rate was lower in Shropshire at 24 per cent and in Powys it was 23 per cent.

Mr Campion, who welcomed the move to bring probation back into public management, said only a combined approach from a number of authorities would help to tackle re-offending.

He said police and probation would need help from health services, courts and councils. He said: “Re-offending rates are a problem nationwide.

“Bringing probation back into the public sector is welcome, but more needs to be done across the board.

“Breaking the cycle of offending needs a holistic approach.

“This is not just from police and probation, but from health services, courts, local authorities and others.

“I believe strongly in tackling the root causes of crime and will continue investing in programmes designed to achieve that, as well as pushing for change and greater focus on the issue with local and national partners.”

Shortcomings

A report from HM Inspectorate of Probation highlighted shortcomings in the system for managing offenders in England and Wales.

It includes figures showing 64 per cent of adults released from custodial terms of less than 12 months re-offended within a year, committing crime estimated to cost the economy £7 billion to £10 billion per year.

The Justice Secretary David Gauke has suggested that one method of tackling the problem could be getting rid of sentences of six months or less, with some exceptions, such as for violent or sexual crimes. But that idea has been rejected by Chief Inspector of Probation Dame Glenys Stacey, who said that such a move was “unlikely to be effective without other changes”.

She added: “In my view, a system-wide approach as well as much more purposeful probation supervision is needed.

“Without it, individuals are locked in an expensive merry-go-round of criminal justice processes and the public are left at undue risk.”

Responding to the HM Inspectorate of Probation report, 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 the Howard League and others warned it would.

“It has not made the public any safer, but it has trapped tens of thousands of people in the criminal justice system for even longer than necessary.

“This has blighted lives and put an intolerable strain on prisons, and it should be abandoned immediately.”

David Jamieson

David Jamieson, the West Midland Police and Crime Commissioner, said investment was needed to “break the cycle of crime”.

Mr Jamieson said he is 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 re-offending, 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 said he also supported restorative justice, in which offenders are forced to face up to the consequences of their actions.