Revealed: 99% of Offenders Escape Jail Time

Fewer than 1 in 200 crimes result in jail time, with career criminals often avoiding justice, new analysis reveals. An estimated 13 million crimes occurred in the year to September 2024, but only 71,573 jail sentences were handed down, equating to just 0.5%. This data highlights that prolific offenders, responsible for a significant portion of crime, continue to evade prison. The number of prolific offenders has risen over the past decade, with many being spared jail despite having dozens of prior convictions.

Since 2007, over 50,000 cases have seen career criminals, with 50 or more convictions, avoid prison. The number of these offenders dodging jail has nearly tripled, from 1,289 in 2007 to 3,325 in 2023. Campaign group Crush Crime, which conducted the analysis, is calling for tougher sentences to address this issue. Dr. Lawrence Newport, who founded Crush Crime, argues that imprisoning prolific offenders for longer would reduce crime rates by up to 90%.

The latest data also reveals that of the 5.4 million criminal offences recorded by police in the year to September 2024, a significant number go unsolved or unreported. Only 2.4% of all crimes resulted in a conviction, with a small proportion of those leading to a jail sentence. Regional disparities also exist, with some police forces charging far fewer offenders than others. For instance, the Metropolitan Police charges suspects in fewer than 5% of cases, while Norfolk achieves a charge rate of 12%.

Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, emphasized the need for police forces to prioritize solving crimes by utilizing advanced technology, like facial recognition from CCTV footage. He also stressed that prolific offenders should be incarcerated to prevent further crimes.

A Home Office spokesperson responded by highlighting the government's efforts to restore neighbourhood policing, tackle key crimes like knife violence and shoplifting, and enhance the overall effectiveness of law enforcement. They also noted the increased funding for local forces to add more officers, aiming to improve crime investigation and justice outcomes.

The Johnson Partnership (Notthingham)