NCJ Number
138834
Date Published
1992
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This report presents statistics regarding the numbers of offenders imprisoned for major offenses in England and Wales in 1990, sentencing trends from 1980 to 1990, recidivism rates, and the costs of imprisonment.
Abstract
About one-fifth of offenders receiving prison sentences committed violent offenses, sex offenses, or robbery. A total of 34,754 offenders were incarcerated as of June 30, 1990. The proportion of offenders receiving custodial sentences increased from 17 percent for males and 4 percent for females in 1980 to 21 percent for males and 8 percent for females in 1987, and then declined to 17 percent and 6 percent respectively, in 1990. The average sentence length for adult males increased from 10 months in 1983 to 16.9 months in 1990. Overall, 50 percent of male offenders and 34 percent of females were reconvicted within 2 years after release. The average cost per inmate was 386 pounds per week in fiscal year 1990-91, ranging from 293 pounds a week for open prisons to 616 pounds a week for maximum security institutions. Tables and 4 references