Imprisonment
...n population, although magistrates’ courts also make a contribution, particularly on receptions where more than half come from magistrates’ courts” (Johnson and colleagues; 2001). Those sentenced with drug offences were most likely to receive a fine this was about 44% as shown on Figure. 3, of the number of conviction rates, 26% women and 46% men received fines for drug offences. Robbery would be immediate custody, with 76% as shown on Figure. 3, of crime rates, fraud and forgery and criminal damages would usually receive community sentences, as shown on Figure 3, with 45% of crime rates. “Custodial sentences are normally given by courts for the most serious, dangerous and persistent offenders” (National Statistics; 2002). Figure 3 shows all indictable offences, fines takes up 23%, community punishment 33% and immediate custody 25% of overall crime rates. (Figure. 3) Offenders sentenced for indictable offences1: by type of offence and type of sentence2, 2002 England & Wales Percentages Fully suspended sentence All sentenced (100%) (thousands) Community sentence Immediate custody Discharge Fine Other Theft and handling stolen goods 20 19 37 - 22 2 126.7 Drug offences 19 44 18 - 17 1 49.0 Violence against the person 10 11 44 1 31 3 37.8 Burglary 3 2 42 - 51 1 26.4 Fraud and forgery 16 15 45 2 21 2 18.1 Criminal damage 21 16 45 - 11 7 10.8 Motoring 5 40 27 1 26 - 8.5 Robbery - - 22 - 76 1 7.7 Sexual offences 5 6 28 1 59 2 4.4 Other offences 10 43 19 1 17 11 47.4 All indictable offences 15 23 33 1 25 3 336.7 Source:(Home Office) 4. Community punishment since 1993. “The form of sentence varied according to the type of offence committed” (Home Office). Figure 4 shows that the use of community punishment had increased from the 1990s and has now stayed at the same level a 52% usage of community punishment by the courts on offenders. “Community punishment orders involve the offender carrying out unpaid work within the community, and community rehabilitation orders involve the offender being supervised within the community” (National Statistics; 2002). The number of males receiving community punishment outnumbered females by more than five to one. (Figure. 4) People commencing criminal supervision orders1 Percentage England & Wales Thousands 1981 1986 1991 1996 2000 2001 Community rehabilitation order 36 40 45 49 54 54 Community punishment order 28 35 42 47 52 52 Community punishment and rehabilitation order .. .. .. 17 19 16 Under the Children and Young 12 6 2 3 - - Persons Act 1969 Other 8 7 8 9 7 10 All2 79 83 91 115 122 122 Source: (Home Office) 5. Looking at the 2002 prison statistics, the following were taken to see the average prison population: - Population of prisoners - Adult prisoners under sentence - People being held in prison on remand - Young prisoners and juveniles Population of prisoners. The average number of offenders in prison in 2002 was the highest number of any years before, which was 70,860. The population of women in prison was at 4,300 and the population of men in prison was 66,480 in 2002. Figure 5 shows that population in custody from 1992 until 2002, being the highest ever. Source: (Home Office) Adult prisoners under sentence. On June 30th 2002 the number of adult prisoners under sentence was 48,450. The population of men in prison accounted for 94% 45,600 and 5.9% 2,850 women. Figure 6 shows the prison population of men in sentence and Figure 7 shows the prison population of women in sentence from 1992 to 2002. Source: (Home Office) Source: (Home Office) ‘Female sentence lengths have generally been shorter than those for males’ (Prison Statistics; 2002). The proportion of male offenders serving shorter sentences was 11.5% in 2002, with women serving 16% shorter sentences. People being held in prison on remand Female offenders were more likely to be on remand then male offenders. The remand population was 12,790 in 2002 with females taking 7.4% of the population. On being on remand 50% of the male and 41% of the female population received custodial sentences in 2002. Figure 8 shows the average population of remand prisoners. “An average of 60 remand prisoners were held in police cells under Operation Safeguard in 2002; an average of 12,730 prisoners were held in Prison Service establishments” (Prison Statistics; 2002). “Remand prisoners comprise 18%of the total prison population” (Social Trends 33). Source: (Home Office) Young prisoners On June 30th 2002 the population of young people in prison was 11,610. “20,240 young offenders were received into Prison Service establishments under an immediate custodial sentence in 2002. 18,900 of these were male and 1,330 were female” (Prison Statistics; 2002). The sentenced population of young offenders counted at 76% of the young offenders’ population with 490 female and 8,860 male. Figure 9 shows the population of young offenders in prison from 1992 to 2002, clearly showing that the number of male young offenders is very high compared to the number of females. Source: (Home Office) The population of young offenders between the ages of 18 to 20 take 9,000 of the population. Juveniles The population of juveniles in 2002 was 2,610, with 2,080 being sentenced. The population of female was 100 and 1,980 were male. “5,740 juveniles were received into Prison Service establishments under an immediate custodial sentence in 2002. Of these, 5,390 were male and 350 were female” (Prison Statistics; 2002). 6. Offences men and women are given sentences of imprisonment by the courts. From 2001 to 2002 males being sentenced for robbery had a 10% increase and a 9% in drugs offences and there was a decrease of 5% for motoring offences and 2% for fraud and forgery of males sentencing. With the female offenders from 2001 to 2002 there was a 49% burglary, 24% robbery, drug offences 17% and offences of violence against the person 21% increase. There was a decrease in fraud and forgery by 6%. Figure 10 shows that there was a 57% increase in the male prison population “This included 3 times the number of drug offenders, up from 2,900 in 1992 to 8,720 in 2002” (Prison Statistics; 2002). The male sentenced for rape increase by 84%. Source: (Home Office) The prison population of female sentenced increased by 84%, to 3,340 in 2002. Source: (Home Office) Looking at Appendix 1 the male population in prison under sentences by offence the table shows that the number of offences that got imprisonment from the courts was 16,339 and on Appendix 2 for the female population in prison under sentences by offence the table shows that the number of offences that got imprisonment from the courts was 615. The difference is a huge number of 15,724. As shown on Appendix 1 the most offence committed by men to receive a sentence of imprisonment is burglary, at 3,110 and looking at Appendix 2 the most for women is drug offences at 164. In comparison it is clear that female offenders committing crimes has less likelihood of imprisonment; where as the majority of crimes committed are by the male population. 7. The population of prisoners serving life sentences. The average number of offenders in prison in 2002 was 70,860. On the 3oth June 2002 it was clear that 5,150 inmates, 7.3% of the population of offenders in prison were sentenced to life imprisonment. 9...