Criminals escaping with caution

Thousands of criminals with at least 15 previous offences on record were given only a caution in 2010 for a subsequent offence, figures show
12 April 2012

Around 4,500 criminals with at least 15 previous offences on their records were given only a caution last year for a subsequent offence, Ministry of Justice figures showed.

They were among more than 27,000 with at least three or more convictions and cautions in the past who escaped without facing a fine, community service or jail.

All faced charges serious enough to be tried in a crown court.

The numbers - contained in the latest quarterly statistics - come after it was revealed that two in three of those involved in the summer's riots who had a criminal record had never been to jail, despite amassing an average of 15 previous offences each.

In June Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) and Her Majesty's Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI) criticised the high usage of out-of-court disposal such as a cautions, warnings or penalty notices for disorder.

In a joint report they said 64 of 190 out-of-court disposals examined "did not appear to comply with the standards set out in the available guidance" and called for a review.

An MOJ spokeswoman said: "Individual sentences are a matter for the judges who know the facts of each case.

"We are making our jails places of hard work, getting criminals off drugs and alcohol, toughening community sentences and making offenders pay back to victims and communities to make sure that we break the cycle of reoffending."

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