Half of all crime in Britain is being committed by just 10 per cent of offenders who are repeatedly let off free.
Criminals with up to 300 previous offences are being let off at court without a jail sentence.
Campaigners are calling for harsher action on the so-called “boomerang offenders,” who are being let off despite a life of crime such as drug dealing and theft.
The government is already facing backlash over releasing thousands of prisoners early as space in prisons is becoming limited.
Dr Lawrence Newport, the founder of the campaign group Crush Crime said there was no excuse for leniency from the government on repeat offenders.
He said: “Many career criminals are responsible for hundreds of crimes. The public must be protected.”
Newport has pressured the government to use the sentencing review being led by former Conservative Justice Secretary David Gauke to ensure that criminals with lengthy records are imprisoned.
He said: “The sentencing review must ensure career criminals are jailed for longer — the more offences they have committed, the longer they should serve.”
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“The British public must be protected — the Government must act and jail career criminals.”
These so-called prolific offenders are people with 16 or more previous convictions.
The number is lower for juvenile offenders depending on their age.
According to Ministry of Justice statistics, one in 10 criminals are prolific offenders, bringing the number to 526,000.
These people are responsible for half the crimes that end up in court - a shocking 10.5 million sentencings.
However, a series of recent evidence has shown that many of these criminals, who on average have been convicted 20 times before, are getting off at court without a prison sentence.
Joseph Phillips, of Nelson, Lancashire, was let off with a suspended sentence in late 2020 after pleading guilty to two thefts from cars, despite having over 300 offences on his record.
Owen Hill, of Scarborough, North Yorkshire, also avoided prison after attacking a police officer, carrying drugs and breaching a suspended sentence, despite having over 70 offences on his record
His past convictions included robbery, burglaries, and even assault.
Meanwhile, Otis Tomney received a two-year suspended sentence for burglary and possessing over 300 wraps of crack cocaine. He had over 31 previous convictions.
Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick said it was a travesty that repeat offenders were not being imprisoned.
Writing in The Sun, he stated: “We can’t allow this to become the new normal. It’s obvious that these individuals need to be locked up behind bars so we can protect the public, give communities breathing space and slash crime rates.”
“We believe in second chances, but not 50th or over 100 chances — that’s madness.”
Ministry of Justice data shows that prolific offenders are most likely to have started their criminal career by thieving.
These thefts are a gateway crime that can escalate to drugs and violence.
Find Out More...
Criminals with up to 300 previous offences are being let off at court without a jail sentence.
Campaigners are calling for harsher action on the so-called “boomerang offenders,” who are being let off despite a life of crime such as drug dealing and theft.
The government is already facing backlash over releasing thousands of prisoners early as space in prisons is becoming limited.
Dr Lawrence Newport, the founder of the campaign group Crush Crime said there was no excuse for leniency from the government on repeat offenders.
He said: “Many career criminals are responsible for hundreds of crimes. The public must be protected.”
Newport has pressured the government to use the sentencing review being led by former Conservative Justice Secretary David Gauke to ensure that criminals with lengthy records are imprisoned.
He said: “The sentencing review must ensure career criminals are jailed for longer — the more offences they have committed, the longer they should serve.”
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“The British public must be protected — the Government must act and jail career criminals.”
These so-called prolific offenders are people with 16 or more previous convictions.
The number is lower for juvenile offenders depending on their age.
According to Ministry of Justice statistics, one in 10 criminals are prolific offenders, bringing the number to 526,000.
These people are responsible for half the crimes that end up in court - a shocking 10.5 million sentencings.
However, a series of recent evidence has shown that many of these criminals, who on average have been convicted 20 times before, are getting off at court without a prison sentence.
Joseph Phillips, of Nelson, Lancashire, was let off with a suspended sentence in late 2020 after pleading guilty to two thefts from cars, despite having over 300 offences on his record.
Owen Hill, of Scarborough, North Yorkshire, also avoided prison after attacking a police officer, carrying drugs and breaching a suspended sentence, despite having over 70 offences on his record
His past convictions included robbery, burglaries, and even assault.
Meanwhile, Otis Tomney received a two-year suspended sentence for burglary and possessing over 300 wraps of crack cocaine. He had over 31 previous convictions.
Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick said it was a travesty that repeat offenders were not being imprisoned.
Writing in The Sun, he stated: “We can’t allow this to become the new normal. It’s obvious that these individuals need to be locked up behind bars so we can protect the public, give communities breathing space and slash crime rates.”
“We believe in second chances, but not 50th or over 100 chances — that’s madness.”
Ministry of Justice data shows that prolific offenders are most likely to have started their criminal career by thieving.
These thefts are a gateway crime that can escalate to drugs and violence.
Find Out More...