NCJ Number
151539
Date Published
1994
Length
24 pages
Annotation
A special data collection exercise was designed to monitor the impact of the 1991 and 1993 Criminal Justice Acts on court sentencing in England and Wales.
Abstract
Data showed a rise in the immediate use of custody which was most apparent among offenders found guilty of property offenses and those with between 6 and 20 previous convictions. The proportionate use of fines by magistrate courts declined, affecting the employed but also more strongly the unemployed. The average fine amount in magistrate courts returned to pre-1991 Criminal Justice Act levels for unemployed offenders. The proportionate use of presentence reports for offenders remanded to custody by magistrate courts continued to increase. The proportion of sentenced offenders who were not remanded on bail or to custody decreased between mid-1992 and early 1993 from 22 to 18 percent. The Crown Court appeared to experience a rise in the proportion of offenders remanded to custody in Prison Service establishments, up from 19 to 26 percent. This rise was balanced mainly by a decline in the proportion of offenders placed on bail with no conditions attached, down from 44 to 38 percent. 11 tables and 3 figures