Ian Lucas MP highlights re-offending rates for short sentences

From TheyWorkForYou:

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners who had served a sentence of six months or less re-offended within 12 months of discharge in (a) 2006, (b) 2007 and (c) 2008. [6105]

Mr Blunt: The available data on reoffending following a custodial sentence of six months or less is provided the following table-please note that this breakdown is based on custodial sentences awarded by the court.

Number and proportion of adult offenders reoffending after release from custody in the first quarter of 2006, 2007 and 2008 having been awarded a sentence of six months or less
	Number of offenders discharged from sentences of six months or less (January to March)	Number of offenders reoffending within 12 months	Percentage of offenders reoffending within 12 months
2006	7,533	4,722	62.7
2007	6,516	4,200	64.5
2008	8,410	5,493	65.3

Further information on adult reoffending is available at:

http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/reoffendingofadults.htm

That's 65.3% re-offending within 12 months.  That strikes me as a fairly sad indictment of short sentences.

Obviously there are other factors - the people receiving these sentences are likely to be the ones who haven't engaged with other sanctions etc, but to claim "prison works" in these circumstances is obviously nonsense.  


*UPDATE* It seems Mr Lucas did it deliberately