Magistrates urged to impose fewer prison sentences

Magistrates in Greater Manchester are more than twice as likely to send someone to prison as courts in other parts of the country, figures obtained by the Howard League for Penal Reform reveal today (22 April).

New research by the charity shows that people who have been convicted of a crime in England and Wales face a postcode lottery when they are sentenced.

The statistics show a striking disparity between sentencing rates in different parts of England and Wales. Courts in Greater Manchester imposed custodial sentences in 4.1 per cent of the cases they heard in 2011 – more often than areas such as Warwickshire (1.5 per cent) and Northumbria (1.6 per cent). The national average was 3.8 per cent. 

Magistrates’ courts in Greater Manchester handed down 71,181 sentences to men, women and children during 2011, of which 2,897 were custodial.

The maximum sentence that a magistrates’ court can impose is a six-month prison term, or up to 12 months in total for more than one offence. 

Frances Crook, Chief Executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “It is pleasing to see that magistrates’ courts are sending fewer people to prison overall than they have in the past. However, one cannot ignore the striking disparity in sentencing trends between different criminal justice areas.

“A short-term prison sentence is a catastrophe for everyone. It does not help change the life of the person sentenced – indeed, it is likely to compound issues such as drug addiction and make them more likely to reoffend. It costs the taxpayer a fortune and it does nothing to help victims, who get no recompense or easing of trauma.

“A court which imposes short prison sentences increases the likelihood of local people becoming victims of crime, because the failure rate is so high.

“Community sentences are much cheaper than custody and they deliver better results. They not only address a person’s offending, but allow them to access other services they need, such as help with drink, drugs or mental health problems.”

Proportion of defendants dealt with by magistrates’ courts in Greater Manchester who received immediate custodial sentences: 

2001: 4.3%

2006: 3.9%

2011: 4.1%