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<p>Sentencing in individual cases is a matter for the independent judiciary and, by
law, courts are required to be satisfied that the offence committed is so serious
that only a custodial sentence can be justified, and even when that threshold is met,
courts are able to consider whether a community sentence would be more suitable in
that particular case. In many cases, sentences served in the community can more effectively
reduce reoffending when compared to short custodial sentences.</p><p>Data showing
the number and proportion of prisoners sentenced to custodial sentences, who have
previously had at least one community order or suspended sentence order respectively
for each year since 2010, is drawn from the Police National Computer. This can be
viewed in the table below.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Table showing the number and proportion
of offender s</strong>(1)<strong>,</strong> (2) <strong>sentenced to immediate</strong>
<strong>custody</strong>(3)<strong> in each year since 2010</strong>(4)<strong>, who
previously</strong>(5) <strong>received at least one community order</strong>(6) <strong>or
suspended sentence order respectively</strong>(7)<strong>, prior to the immediate
custodial sentence. England and Wales</strong>(8).</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>Number
of offenders who received at least one community order prior to an immediate custodial
sentence</p></td><td><p>Proportion of offenders who received at least one community
order prior to an immediate custodial sentence</p></td><td><p>Number of offenders
who received at least one suspended sentence order prior to an immediate custodial
sentence</p></td><td><p>Proportion of offenders who received at least one suspended
sentence order prior to an immediate custodial sentence</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010</p></td><td><p>34,550</p></td><td><p>40%</p></td><td><p>23,602</p></td><td><p>28%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011</p></td><td><p>40,134</p></td><td><p>46%</p></td><td><p>25,870</p></td><td><p>29%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012</p></td><td><p>42,183</p></td><td><p>49%</p></td><td><p>26,216</p></td><td><p>31%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013</p></td><td><p>41,201</p></td><td><p>52%</p></td><td><p>26,670</p></td><td><p>33%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014</p></td><td><p>41,962</p></td><td><p>54%</p></td><td><p>27,746</p></td><td><p>36%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015</p></td><td><p>41,699</p></td><td><p>54%</p></td><td><p>28,381</p></td><td><p>37%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016</p></td><td><p>42,985</p></td><td><p>55%</p></td><td><p>30,138</p></td><td><p>38%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017</p></td><td><p>41,424</p></td><td><p>56%</p></td><td><p>30,010</p></td><td><p>41%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018</p></td><td><p>38,318</p></td><td><p>57%</p></td><td><p>28,112</p></td><td><p>42%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2019</p></td><td><p>35,524</p></td><td><p>58%</p></td><td><p>25,634</p></td><td><p>42%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2020</p></td><td><p>28,623</p></td><td><p>59%</p></td><td><p>20,895</p></td><td><p>43%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2021</p></td><td><p>28,523</p></td><td><p>55%</p></td><td><p>20,898</p></td><td><p>41%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2022</p></td><td><p>27,230</p></td><td><p>56%</p></td><td><p>20,339</p></td><td><p>42%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><strong>Source:
</strong>MoJ extract of the Police National Computer</p><p>1 - 'Proportion' refers
to the number of offenders in each year who received an immediate custodial sentence
in each year and had at least one previous community order or suspended sentence order
respectively as a proportion of all offenders who received an immediate custodial
sentence in the same year.</p><p>2 - Offenders are counted once in each year but may
appear in multiple years if they received an immediate custodial sentence in more
than one of the years.</p><p>3 - Immediate custodial sentences include types of detention
other than adult prison (e.g. detention and training orders given to 10 to 17 year
olds or detention in Young Offenders Institutions). An offender sentenced to immediate
custody does not necessarily mean that the offender is a member of the prison population.</p><p>4
- The figures for 2020 and 2021 are likely to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><p>5
- Previous community orders or suspended sentence orders respectively may have been
received at any time prior to the index offence (last immediate custodial sentence)
in each year.</p><p>6 - Community orders strictly include community orders, with or
without electronic monitoring or curfew restrictions, but excludes other types of
community sentences (e.g. youth rehabilitation order, supervision orders) and other
sentences that may be served in the community (e.g. suspended sentence orders). At
least some of the orders included were only introduced in their current form in 2005.</p><p>7
– individuals can be present in both columns</p><p>8 - England and Wales includes
all 43 police force areas plus the British Transport Police</p><p> </p><p> </p>
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