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The Government’s latest analysis of reconviction rates has revealed a drop in the number of people being reconvicted within one year of their being released from custody or given a non-custodial sentence.
In fact, the one year reconviction frequency rate has declined over the past nine years by just over a fifth, from 63.9 per 100 offenders released/given a non-custodial sentence in 2002-03, to 50.2 for the 2010-11 cohort. During the same period, the one year reconviction rate has fallen from 32.9% to 28.4%. Both rates are now at their lowest levels in the last 14 years.
The fall in the one year reconviction frequency rate has been particularly marked for the under 21 age group, with a drop of over a third between the 1997-98 and 2010-11 cohorts, from 93.4 per 100 offenders to 59.3.
The figures also show that:
* In 2010-11, there were 8,340 offenders given a Community Service, Probation or Community Payback Order. These offenders have a reconviction frequency rate of 54.9 per 100 offenders and a 31.6% one year reconviction rate.
* Those released from a custodial sentence of three months or less have a reconviction frequency rate of 126.0, over double that of offenders getting community sentences.
* In 2010-11, 80% of police disposals were anti-social behaviour fixed penalty notices, and 24.5% of offenders given police disposals were given another non-court disposal within one year.
* In 2010-11, 56% of Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal disposals were fiscal fines, and 17.7% of offenders given Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal disposals were given another non-court disposal within one year.
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