/ 

## Criminal Justice Statistics Quarterly Update To March 2014 England And Wales Ministry Of Justice Statistics Bulletin

 
 Published 14 August 2014 

## Contents

 
Contents...................................................................................................................... 1 
 
Introduction ................................................................................................................. 2 
 
Key Findings ............................................................................................................... 4 Chapters: 
 
1. Overview .............................................................................................................. 5 
 
2. Out of Court Disposals......................................................................................... 7 
 
3. Court Proceedings and Remand.......................................................................... 9 
 
4. Offenders Found Guilty...................................................................................... 12 
 
5. Sentencing ......................................................................................................... 14 
 
6. Offending Histories............................................................................................. 16 
Flows through the Criminal Justice System, 12 months ending March 2014............ 19 
 
Overview Tables ....................................................................................................... 20 
 
Revisions Policy........................................................................................................ 25 
 
Explanatory Notes..................................................................................................... 26 
Symbols and conventions ...................................................................................... 26 Guidance on tables and supplementary volumes .................................................. 26 Contacts................................................................................................................. 26 

## Introduction

 This report presents the key statistics on activity in the Criminal Justice System (CJS) 
for England and Wales. It provides information for the latest twelve months (April 
2013 to March 2014) with accompanying commentary, analysis and presentation of longer term trends. The information in this publication for the first quarter of 2014 in relation to court proceedings and outcomes is provisional. The data provides users with information about proven offending and its outcomes in England and Wales. The contents of this bulletin will be of interest to government policy makers in the development of policy and their subsequent monitoring and evaluation. Others will be interested in the way different crimes are dealt with in the CJS. Where appropriate, comparisons are made with different sources covering activity in the CJS - in particular, numbers of crimes recorded by the police, often the starting point for crimes dealt with by other CJS agencies1. In this publication, criminal offences are divided into three main offence groups: 
 
Indictable proceedings cover the more serious offences such as violent and sexual offences and robbery. Initial proceedings are heard at magistrates' courts but they then may be passed on to the Crown Court, either for sentencing or for a full trial with a judge and jury. This group includes both 'indictable only' offences, which can only be tried on indictment in the Crown Court by a judge and jury, and 'triable-either-way' offences which are triable either summarily in a magistrate's court or on indictment in the Crown Court; 

 
Summary proceedings, which cover less serious offences, are almost always 
handled entirely in the magistrates' courts when dealt with in court, with the majority completed at the first hearing. They are split into two categories: 
 
Summary non-motoring proceedings, such as TV license evasion and less 
serious criminal damage; and 
 
Summary motoring proceedings, such as speeding and driving whilst 
disqualified. 
 A technical document titled "A Guide to Criminal Justice Statistics" is available alongside this bulletin, which provides users with detailed information on the concepts and methods used in compiling this bulletin, including the quality of the data, along with guidance on statistical revisions and forthcoming changes. A copy of the technical document can be found at: 
www.gov.uk/government/collections/criminal-justice-statistics-quarterly Changes to data presentation within the report Tables on an all offence basis previously included in a separate Offences Chapter (last shown in Criminal Justice Statistics Quarterly Update to September 2013) have been moved to the overview, out of court disposals and convictions sections where relevant (as was the case with Criminal Justice Statistics 2013 publication). 

## Potential Data Issue Regarding Triable-Either-Way Cases In The Magistrates' Court: Investigations Are Under Way Due To An Apparent Difference Between Numbers Of Triable-Either-Way Cases In 2013 And 2014 Shown In This Publication And In Table 3.2A Of Court Statistics (Quarterly)2. Users Of These Statistics Should Be Aware That Figures In This Bulletin Are Showing A Slight Decline In The Last 12 Months Whereas Figures In Court Statistics Quarterly Are Showing A Slight Upward Trend. Interpretation

This publication presents information for the latest 12 month period (the twelve months ending March 2014) alongside the same rolling 12 month periods ending March for the previous ten years. The comparison of 12 rolling month periods has the advantage over reporting on shorter timeframes - for example, covering only the latest quarter - of avoiding misinterpretation of short-term fluctuations caused by seasonality (for example, reduced court volumes every December when many of the courts are closed over the Christmas period), and enables the presentation of longer-term trends across comparable reporting periods. In this publication: 

 
the **"latest year"** refers to the **12 months ending March 2014**; 
 
the **"previous year"** refers to the **12 months ending March 2013**; and 
 
any other reference period will be referred to explicitly.
 
 
Further guidance on the symbols and conventions used in the bulletin is provided in the 'Explanatory notes' section. 

## Future Developments

We are planning to make changes to the **offending history tables** in forthcoming publications, for example we are considering removing first time entrants by police force area tables and introducing new tables to ensure all offences are covered, not just indictable offences. If you have any feedback on the current offending history tables or suggestions for changes you would like to see in the future, your feedback would be greatly appreciated. 

 If you have any feedback, questions or requests for further information about this statistical bulletin, please direct them to the appropriate contact given at the end of this report. 

## Key Findings

 
Total number of individuals (which includes people and companies) dealt with 
formally by the CJS in England and Wales has been declining since 2007. It is now at a record low level (period 1970 onwards), with 1.73 million individuals dealt with in the latest 12 month period. 
 
 
Use of out of court disposals has decreased in the last year by 13%, down to 
318,500 in the latest 12 month period. This continues the pattern of decline (52% decrease since year ending March 2008 peak). 
 
 
In the latest 12 month period 1.41 million defendants were proceeded against, 
a 4% decrease compared to the previous year. Over the last 10 years the 
number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates' court has declined almost year on year. 
 
 
Conviction ratio has remained relatively steady since year ending March 2009 
(following on from an increase in the 5 years preceding this). In the latest 12 month period it was 82%. 
 
 
Custody rate for indictable offences (27%) is the highest in the decade and 
has increased in each of the last three years. 
 
 
Average custodial sentence length (ACSL) has increased over the last 
decade, particularly in the last year - up to 15.5 months in the latest 12 month period. 
 
 
Number and proportion of convicted offenders who have long criminal 
histories has increased over the last 10 years, whereas the number of new entrants to the criminal justice system has fallen. 
1. Overview Once a suspect has been identified by the police, charged and arrested, the police work with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in deciding the most appropriate course of action in each case. The decision can be made to not take the offender to court, through a number of available "out-of-court disposals", or to proceed against the defendant at a magistrates' court. The total number of individuals, which includes people and companies, who have been dealt with formally by the CJS in England and Wales, in either of these ways, has been declining since the 12 months ending March 2007, with 1.73 million individuals dealt with in the latest 12 month period. The total number of individuals formally dealt with by the CJS in England and Wales is generally consistent with total crime and recorded crime trends. In the year ending March 2014 however, despite a reduction in total crime, there was no overall change in recorded crime, yet there was a reduction in individuals formally dealt with by the CJS in England and Wales. Total crime, as measured by surveys of the general population, has fallen since 2002/03.  Latest figures in the Crime in England and Wales, year ending March 2014 
publication3 show there were an estimated 7.3 million incidents of crime against households and resident adults (aged 16 and over). This represents a 14% decrease compared with the previous year's survey and is the lowest estimate since the Crime survey began in 1981. 

Recorded crime in England and Wales reduced year on year between 2002/03 and 
2012/13. Recently published police recorded crime figures for 2013/144 however, showed no overall change from the previous year, with 3.7 million offences recorded in the year ending March 2014. 

The number of individuals dealt with formally by the CJS for the first time has also fallen since the 12 months ending March 2007 - with 166,000 'first time entrants' to the CJS in 12 months ending March 2014, a decline of 50% since 2007. The reduction has been much sharper for juveniles (80% over the same period), reflecting a decreasing number of juvenile offenders reprimanded, issued with a warning or given a youth caution. However, per head of population, the rate of juvenile first time entrants remains higher than for adults. 

2. Out of Court Disposals Until the introduction of Penalty Notices for Disorder (PNDs) in 2004 and formal warnings for possession of cannabis in 20055, the only out of court disposal available to police was a caution. Since the 12 months ending March 2004, the use of out of court disposals increased rapidly and peaked in the 12 months ending March 2008, before decreasing year on year - 318,500 individuals were issued with an out of court disposal in the latest period. The increase to the 12 months ending March 2008 coincided with the introduction in 2001 of a target to increase offences brought to justice. The decrease post March 2008 coincided with the replacement of the target in April 2008, with one placing more emphasis on bringing serious crimes to justice. The latter target was subsequently removed in May 2010. The use of out of court disposals has decreased in the last year by 13%.This continues the decline in the use of out of court disposals which have seen a 52% decrease since the year ending March 2008 peak. Each type of out of court disposal showed a decrease when compared with the previous year. The biggest decline was in the use of Penalty Notice for Disorder 
(PNDs) which decreased by 23% (to 78,600 from 101,500) following the cancellation of the use of PNDs for under 18 year olds from 8 April 2013. Total cautions decreased by 10% (to 175,900 from 195,000) and cannabis warnings 8% (to 64,000 from 69,200) over the same period. In the 12 months ending March 2014, cautions for indictable offences (including triable either way offences) decreased by 11%, to 90,500, from 102,100 in the previous year. There were just over 600 cautions for indictable only offences 

## 

 
(excluding triable either way) in the 12 months ending March 2014, a decline of 18% 
compared to the previous year. This follows guidance issued by the Ministry of Justice on 14 November 2013, which stated that the use of adult simple cautions, for indictable only offences should be stopped, except in exceptional circumstances. In the 4 month period since the guidance (December 2013 to March 2014) just over 100 
adult cautions for indictable only offences have been issued. Legislation in the forthcoming Criminal Justice and Courts Bill will put these changes to adult simple cautions on a statutory footing. The overall cautioning rate (proportion of offenders who were either cautioned or convicted that were given a caution) for the latest 12 months was 20%, which has declined from a peak of 31% in year ending March 2007.  This coincided with the replacement in April 2008 of a target to increase offences brought to justice with more emphasis targeted on serious crime. 

In year ending March 2014, 50% of PNDs (with known outcome: i.e. paid in full or not paid in full excluding unknowns) were paid in full - a decrease of twelve percentage points compared with the year ending March 2013 and a low for the 10 year period. 

3. Court Proceedings and Remand Virtually all criminal cases proceeding to court in England and Wales start in a magistrates' court. Since the 12 months ending March 2004, the number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates' court has declined almost year on year 
- down to 1.41 million defendants in the latest period - driven chiefly by decreases in summary motoring offences brought before magistrates. The biggest decreases have been for vehicle insurance offences, driving licence related offences and driving after consuming alcohol or taking drugs offences. Prosecutions decreased by 4% in the year ending March 2014 compared with the previous year, with decreases seen in all three main offence groups (indictable, summary motoring and summary non-motoring). The largest decline was seen for summary non-motoring offences which showed a 7% decrease compared with the previous 12 month period. Meanwhile indictable offences decreased by less than 1% 
(despite there being a 2% increase for those aged 18 and over) and summary motoring offences decreased by 2%. Prosecutions for sexual offences, violence against the person offences, fraud offences and public order offences have all increased in line with recorded crime figures7. Prosecutions for sexual offences increased by 21% in the latest period compared with the 12 months ending March 2013 (this compares to a 20% increase in recorded crime). The increase in recorded crime and prosecutions for sexual offences is likely to be partly due to the Operation Yewtree investigation, connected to the Jimmy Savile inquiry. This investigation has led to a 'Yewtree effect' whereby a greater number of victims have come forward to report sexual offences to the police. 

Improved compliance with the recording standards for sexual offences in some police forces may also be a factor. Prosecutions for fraud offences increased by 9% in the latest period compared with the 12 months ending March 2013, public order offences by 8% and violence against the person offences by 6%. There has also been a 4% increase in prosecutions for shoplifting offences. Around 6% of all defendants proceeded against are passed on to the Crown Court for trial. Since the 12 months ending March 2011 the volume of defendants tried at the Crown Court has declined, in line with the decline in prosecutions - with 82,600 defendants tried at the Crown Court in the latest year, compared with 106,300 in the 12 months ending March 2011. On 28th May 2013, committal hearings were abolished nationally as part of wider measures to speed up justice and improve efficiencies in the justice system. As a result cases are now being sent straight to the Crown Court as soon as it is clear the matter is serious enough, rather than having to await a committal hearing. Police remands are the decisions made by a police officer on whether to detain or bail a defendant pending their first appearance in court or send a notice summoning them to appear in court. In the latest year, there were 1.47 million defendants directed by the police to appear at magistrates' courts (including those who failed to appear). The proportion of defendants remanded in custody by the police increased from 11% in the 12 months ending March 2013 to 12% in the latest year. Meanwhile the proportion of those granted bail by the police and those directed to appear via summonses remained stable at 29% and 60% respectively. Court remands are the court's decision on whether a defendant charged with a criminal offence should be held in custody or released on bail during the period up to and including the trial, or while awaiting sentence. In the latest year, bail was granted to 22% of defendants proceeded against at magistrates' courts whilst 4% were remanded in custody and the remaining 74% had their case concluded at the magistrates' courts without being remanded. 

Defendants are more likely to be remanded in custody for indictable offences than summary offences - as a result, the proportion of defendants remanded in custody at the Crown Court is higher than at magistrates' courts. In the latest year, the proportion of defendants tried at the Crown Court who were remanded in custody was 36% (up from 34% in the previous 12 month period) and the proportion remanded on bail was 47% (down from 48% in the previous 12 month period). Of those remanded in custody at the Crown Court, 73% were convicted and sentenced to immediate custody (a decrease from 74% in the previous year). Failure To Appear (FTA) warrants are issued by courts when defendants do not attend court on a specified date, having either been summonsed or granted bail at an earlier stage. In the latest year, police forces in England and Wales received a total of 70,100 FTA warrants from the courts, of which 86% were executed. There were a total of 16,700 FTA warrants outstanding at the end of March 2014, a decrease of 2% compared with the position at the end of March 2013. The number of outstanding FTA Warrants fell year-on-year between the year ending 31st March 
2008 and the year ending 31st March 2012, prior to a small increase (1%) from the year ending 31st March 2012 to the year ending 31st March 2013. 

 
The number of outstanding Category A FTA warrants (which relate to the most serious offences) has increased by less than 1% compared to the previous year. The number of outstanding Category B and C FTA warrants fell by 2% and 4% respectively. 

4. Offenders Found Guilty Trends in the number of offenders convicted - that is, defendants who plead or are found guilty - and sentenced at all courts are driven by two factors, namely the number of individuals dealt with through the courts (the trend in prosecutions) and the proportion of those individuals who are found guilty. Conviction ratios are calculated as the number of convictions as a proportion of the number of proceedings. This gives a measure of the relative number of defendants who are found guilty within a given year for a certain offence, when compared with the number who are prosecuted that year for the same offence. Since the 12 months ending March 2004, convictions have declined almost year on year, in line with declining numbers of individuals proceeded against. The decline in convictions has not been as steep as for proceedings. As a result, the conviction ratio has increased from 75% in the 12 months ending March 2004 to 83% in the 12 
months ending March 2009, and has since remained steady, fluctuating between 82% and 83%. In the latest year it was 82%. The complex nature of the CJS means there are a number of possible factors contributing to this change - for example, changes in guilty plea rates, the mix of cases handled in and out of court, impacts of operational changes, and so on - and it is difficult to separately identify the impacts of different factors. 

 
 
Sexual offence convictions increased by 5% in the latest year compared with the previous year, an increase was also seen with recorded crime figures8 (20% 
increase). Sexual offence prosecutions however increased by 21% over the same 
 
8 www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/crime-stats/crime-statistics/period-ending-march-2014/stb-crime-stats.html   
 
 
period, which led to the conviction ratio for sexual offences decreasing from 
61% in the 12 months ending March 2013 to 53% in the latest period. The fall in conviction ratio can be explained by considering that prosecutions include cases which may not be finished, i.e. those waiting to go to trial. Sexual offence cases take a longer time to go through the court system than the majority of other offence groups and there are a higher number of incomplete cases. Of those tried at all courts for sexual offences in the latest 12 month period, 69% were convicted - this figure has remained stable for the last 3 years. 

5. Sentencing In the 12 months ending March 2014, there were 1.16 million offenders sentenced following a criminal conviction, 4% fewer compared to 12 months ending March 2013. Fines are the most common sentence given to offenders at all courts (accounting for 68% of offenders sentenced in the latest year), due mainly to the large number of fines issued for summary offences at the magistrates' court. Offenders sentenced for summary offences accounted for 75% of all sentences issued in the latest year. The majority of summary offences (99%) were dealt with entirely in the magistrates' courts, of which 85% were issued fines. A different distribution of sentences is observed for indictable offences. In the latest year, 27% of offenders sentenced for indictable offences were sentenced to immediate custody (that is, to prison or other form of secure detention), 22% to community sentences, 19% to a fine, and 12% to a Suspended Sentence Order (SSO). Over a quarter of offenders sentenced for indictable offences were sentenced at the Crown Court - of these, 57% received an immediate custodial sentence, reflecting the fact that the most serious offences are likely to be tried on indictment in the Crown Court by a judge and jury. Overall, the way in which offenders have been sentenced has remained broadly consistent over the last decade. However the use of SSOs rose steadily between the 12 months ending March 2006 and March 2011 - as a result of the Criminal Justice Act 2003, which made SSOs more readily available. More recently the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment Offenders (LASPO) Act 2012 made further changes to the availability of SSOs, resulting in a 12% increase in SSOs for indictable offences between the 12 months ending March 2013 and March 2014. The proportion of offenders given community sentences remained broadly stable until the 12 months ending March 2011, before decreasing in recent years. 

 
The number of persons given a custodial sentence has also fallen over the last two years by 13%, reflecting a decrease in the number of offenders being sentenced, down 11% over the same period. 

Between the 12 months ending March 2007 and March 2012, the immediate custody rate (the proportion of all persons sentenced receiving immediate custody) increased up from 6.7% to 8.2%. The custody rate fell slightly to 7.9% in the 12 months to March 2013, before rising to 8.0% in the most recent year. The custody rate for indictable offences in the 12 months to March 2014 was 27%, the highest in the decade and has increased in each of the last three years. The average custodial sentence length (ACSL), which excludes life and indeterminate sentences, has increased over the last decade, particularly in the last year - up to 15.5 months in 12 months ending March 2014, compared with 14.8 
months in the previous 12 month period and 12.5 months in the 12 months ending March 2004. Several factors have contributed to this increase: 

 
A change in the case-mix of people getting custodial sentences. In the 12 
months ending March 2004 indictable offences, (which have a higher ACSL compared to summary offences) accounted for 75% of all immediate custodial sentences, compared to 84% in the 12 months ending March 2014. 
 
 
The Criminal Justice and Immigration Act (CJIA) in 2008 restricted the use of 
indeterminate sentences for Public Protection (IPPs). This coincided with an increase in determinate sentences of 10 years or more. 
 
 
The LASPO Act, which was passed on 3rd December 2012, abolished IPPs 
and replaced them with new Extended Determinate Sentences (EDS). Furthermore it legislated that adult offenders will receive mandatory life sentences for a second serious sexual or violent offence.  
 
 
Between 12 months ending March 2004 and March 2014 there has been a 
steady decrease in the proportion of offenders sentenced to short sentences 
of more than three and up to six months (from 28% to 19%); while there has 
been an increase in the proportion of offenders sentenced to more than 18 months and up to three years (from 10% to 13%).  
 
 
The proportion of determinate sentences of five years or longer (but less than 
life) has been increasing steadily since 12 months ending March 2011, with these accounting for 5% of all custodial sentences in 12 months ending 2014 compared with 3% of all custodial sentences in the same period 2011. 
 Due to current recording issues, an estimate has had to be made, using prison population data, of the number of persons sentenced to immediate custody since 3rd December 2012 who were given an EDS. The best current estimate is that 900 
offenders were sentenced to an EDS between 3rd December 2012 and 31st March 
2014, with an ACSL of 8.1 years. Offenders sentenced for sexual offences have a consistently higher ASCL - 58.7 months in the 12 months ending March 2014, and this has increased in each of the last ten 12 month periods. The custody rate has also increased in each of the last three 12 month periods and was 60% in the 12 months ending March 2014. Only robbery has a higher custody rate (64%). 

6. Offending Histories The number of new entrants to the criminal justice system has continued to fall since its peak in the 12 months ending March 2007. Whilst the number and proportion of convicted offenders who have long criminal records has generally been increasing over the last 10 years. The reduction seen in the number of first time entrants has been much sharper for juveniles than for adults. In the 12 months ending March 2014, just under 105,000 offenders convicted of an indictable offence had 15 or more previous convictions or cautions (long criminal records) at the time. This equates to 36% of all convicted offenders in the year and is up from 23% in the 12 months ending March 2004 (77,200 offenders). The majority of these prolific offenders already have in excess of 15 previous offences on their record, whereas the group progressing from their 15th to their 16th conviction or caution has been falling since 2009. This suggests that the increasing numbers of convictions for those with long criminal records are being driven by groups of offenders who already have in excess of 15 previous sanctions (on average around 31 previous sanctions) and not merely by those progressing from their 15th to their 16th offence.  
 
 
In the 12 months ending March 2014, 60% of those with 15 or more previous cautions and convictions were for offences related to theft - by comparison, only 23% of those with no previous convictions or cautions were convicted for theft offences. In contrast, sexual offences accounted for 8% of convictions for those offenders with no previous history but less than 1% of convictions for those offenders with 15 or more previous convictions or cautions. As might be expected, given that sentencing decisions will typically take into account previous offending history, the proportion of offenders receiving immediate custody for an indictable offence is higher for those groups of offenders with longer criminal histories. In the 12 months ending March 2014, 38% of adults with 15 or more previous convictions or cautions received a custodial sentence compared to 11% for adults with no previous history of offending. The equivalent figures for juveniles were 42% and 2% respectively. The most common disposal given in the 12 months ending March 2014, for offenders committing an indictable offence with no previous criminal history, was a caution, with this accounting for 73% of juveniles in this group and 58% of adults. 

group)
Immediate custody 215 
(1.5% of no previous 
group)
Other sentence 13,789 
(64.8% of 1‐14 previous 
group)
Other sentence 3,555 
(25.3 % of no previous 
group)
Caution 5,509 (25.9% of 1‐
14 previous group)
Caution 10,254 (73.1% of 
no previous group)
Other sentence 509 
(56.5% of 15+ previous 
group)
previous  group)

## Flows Through The Criminal Justice System, 12 Months Ending March 2014

or case unable to proceed
Notifiable and non-notifiable principal offences ( * all offences)
Defendants proceeded against at magistrates' courts
Cannabis warnings
Penalty Notices for Disorder
Cautions
175,929
78,610
      
2,108,296
63,967
1,406,975
(*)
(2)
Number found guilty by magistrates
Number tried at the Crown Court
1,491,480 (*)
1,090,582
82,575
(*)
Number found guilty at Crown Court
Number committed for sentence at Crown Court
67,965
160,767
18,187
Number sentenced by magistrates
Number sentenced by the Crown Court
1,070,526
86,152
Guilty Plea
77,237
Not Guilty Plea
8,915
Fined
Custody
Other
Fined
Custody
Suspended
Other
disposal
sentence
disposal
1,739
41,773
3,057
193
6,349
1,386
306
Community
Suspended
Community 
sentence
sentence
sentence
10,316
20,352
681
Fined
Custody
Other 
785,124
43,773
107,167
Community
Suspended 
sentence
107,873
26,589
| Total sentenced to custody        |
|-----------------------------------|
| 91,895                            |
| 167,197                           |
| Average custodial sentence length |
| 15.5 months                       |
81,617
141,705

(1) Covers all indictable offences, including triable either way, plus a few closely associated summary offences. (2) Defendants tried at the Crown Court in a given year may have been committed for trial by a magistrate in a previous year. (3) Includes community sentences and suspended sentence orders. (4) Receptions for offenders given a custodial sentence (figures include fine defaulters). (5) Offenders starting Community Order or Suspended Sentence Order supervision by the Probation Service.

*    Total number of all offences in comparison with the total number of defendants on a principal offence basis.

## Overview Tables

March
2010
March
2011
March
2012
March
2013
March
2014
12 month ending
Percentage 
change 12 
months ending 
March 2013 to 
March 2014
Out of court disposals
522,133
460,279
424,620
365,776
318,506
-12.9%
Cannabis warnings
87,332
80,659
77,933
69,236
63,967
-7.6%
Penalty Notices for Disorder
(1)
161,575
138,266
122,805
101,533
78,610
-22.6%
Cautions 
273,226
241,354
223,882
195,007
175,929
-9.8%
Defendants proceeded against
1,690,980
1,644,191
1,557,046
1,459,694
1,406,975
-3.6%
Indictable offences (2)
418,910
438,540
416,911
362,975
361,792
-0.3%
Summary offences
1,272,070
1,205,651
1,140,135
1,096,719
1,045,183
-4.7%
Offenders convicted
1,400,296
1,362,308
1,296,150
1,205,470
1,158,547
-3.9%
Indictable offences
331,170
353,317
339,795
298,080
289,878
-2.8%
Summary offences
1,069,126
1,008,991
956,355
907,390
868,669
-4.3%
Prison receptions(3)
93,273
90,783
89,834
84,898
81,617
-3.9%
Probation starts(4)
167,797
166,219
158,901
144,424
141,705
-1.9%

(1) Number of Penalty Notices for Disorder issued to offenders aged 16 and over. (2) Indictable offences include those triable-either-way. (3) Receptions for offenders given a custodial sentence (includes fine defaulters). (4) Offenders starting Community Order or Suspended Sentence Order supervision by the Probation Service.


March
2010
March
2011
March
2012
March
2013
March
2014
12 months ending
Percentage 
change 12 months 
ending March 
2013 to March 
2014
Total offenders sentenced(1)
1,398,217
1,360,683
1,294,816
1,203,518
1,156,678
-3.9%
Total persons sentenced(2)
1,389,694
1,352,847
1,288,088
1,197,126
1,150,249
-3.9%
Immediate custody (persons)
99,745
102,837
105,452
95,102
91,895
-3.4%
Suspended sentence (persons)
45,913
48,818
47,642
44,032
48,327
9.8%
Community sentence (persons)
190,817
188,235
172,144
139,167
118,870
-14.6%
Fines (all offenders)
938,500
888,596
845,789
813,072
787,056
-3.2%
Other disposals (all offenders)
123,242
132,197
123,789
112,145
110,530
-1.4%
Average custodial sentence length (months)
(3)
13.7
13.9
14.3
14.8
15.5
4.9%
Percentage point
Percentage of those sentenced(4)
change
Immediate custody (persons)
7.2
             
7.6
             
8.2
             
7.9
             
8.0
             
0.0
Suspended sentence (persons)
3.3
             
3.6
             
3.7
             
3.7
             
4.2
             
0.5
Community sentence (persons)
13.7
           
13.9
           
13.4
           
11.6
           
10.3
           
-1.3
Fines (all offenders)
67.1
           
65.3
           
65.3
           
67.6
           
68.0
           
0.5
Other disposals (all offenders)
8.8
             
9.7
             
9.6
             
9.3
             
9.6
             
0.2

(1) The time lag between conviction and sentencing for cases committed for sentence at Crown Court can result in small differences between total offenders convicted and sentenced within reporting years.

(2) For sentences of immediate custody, suspended sentence and community sentence, 'persons' is the same as 'offenders', as 'others' (such as companies or public bodies) cannot receive these sentences.

(3) Average custodial sentence length excludes life and indeterminate sentences. (4) May not sum to 100 per cent as all rates are not calculated on the same basis.

## Table Q1.3 - Recorded Crime And Notifiable Offence Outcomes, 12 Months Ending March 2004 To 12 Months Ending March 2014 England And Wales

12 months ending
Percentage 
change 12 
months ending 
March
March
March
March
March
March
March
March
March
March
March
March 2013 to 
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
March 2014
Recorded crime
(1)
5,843,549
5,476,771
5,425,691
5,322,377
4,881,140
4,630,383
4,265,036
4,078,475
3,903,581
3,553,191
3,506,699
-1.3%
Out of court disposals
247,767
357,136
498,785
608,127
616,203
560,795
479,474
420,944
391,171
336,672
293,897
-12.7%
Cannabis warnings
n/a
40,138
62,586
80,653
103,804
107,241
87,332
80,659
77,933
69,236
63,967
-7.6%
Penalty Notices for Disorder
(2)
n/a
51,223
107,513
147,790
136,702
115,625
107,467
90,199
77,915
61,909
45,473
-26.5%
Cautions 
247,767
265,775
328,686
379,684
375,697
337,929
284,675
250,086
235,323
205,527
184,457
-10.3%
Proceedings
1,154,051
1,032,331
1,025,047
972,993
977,315
960,685
1,001,162
1,021,961
977,362
879,466
871,619
-0.9%
Convictions
731,384
695,713
720,686
707,579
738,851
754,516
750,449
767,441
743,943
677,283
675,316
-0.3%
Offences taken into consideration
88,204
88,386
103,363
111,328
99,021
96,875
76,244
71,896
63,898
55,197
40,949
-25.8%
Proven offences
(3)
1,067,355
1,141,235
1,322,834
1,427,034
1,454,075
1,412,186
1,306,167
1,260,281
1,199,012
1,069,152
1,010,162
-5.5%

(1) Excluding fraud offences. For the year ending March 2014 figures, the Office for National Statistics published headline national crime figures that include centralised (Action Fraud) recording of fraud and a separate series which excludes fraud.  Due to the staggered move of recording fraud offences by forces to Action Fraud, crime figures are shown excluding fraud offences to allow for consistent comparisons.  
(2) Number of Penalty Notices for Disorder issued to offenders aged 16 and over. Penalty Notices for Disorder information is only available from 12 months period ending March 2005 onwards. (3) Includes out of court disposals, convictions and offences taken into consideration. 

Penalty Notices 
Recorded 
Offence Group
12 months 
ending
crime(1)
Cannabis 
warnings
for Disorder(2)
Cautions
Proceedings
Convictions
Violence against the person
March 2013
601,139
-
-
68,960
200,384
136,245
March 2014
634,586
-
-
62,138
197,549
135,303
Sexual offences
March 2013
53,620
-
-
1,644
28,630
19,153
March 2014
64,200
-
-
1,401
33,277
19,864
Robbery
March 2013
65,155
-
-
178
16,096
11,030
March 2014
57,818
-
-
110
13,510
9,144
Theft offences
March 2013
1,900,948
-
26,871
41,864
236,884
200,199
March 2014
1,845,243
-
19,342
37,151
237,829
202,396
Criminal damage and arson
March 2013
529,713
-
3,330
23,150
66,779
52,694
March 2014
506,190
-
1,897
21,487
62,366
50,075
Drug offences
March 2013
208,002
69,236
15,547
41,822
99,510
87,839
March 2014
198,176
63,967
12,933
38,088
99,183
88,106
Possession of weapons offences
March 2013
19,910
-
-
4,081
22,389
16,290
March 2014
20,620
-
-
3,355
22,465
16,942
Public order offences
March 2013
132,204
-
16,161
15,105
76,915
58,306
March 2014
134,433
-
11,301
13,438
72,027
55,680
Miscellaneous crimes against society
March 2013
42,500
-
-
4,601
86,621
63,214
March 2014
45,433
-
-
4,029
86,434
63,680
Fraud offences
(1)
March 2013
-
-
-
4,122
45,258
32,313
March 2014
-
-
-
3,260
46,979
34,126
Total notifiable offences
March 2013
3,553,191
69,236
61,909
205,527
879,466
677,283
March 2014
3,506,699
63,967
45,473
184,457
871,619
675,316

(1) Excluding fraud offences. For the year ending March 2014 figures, the Office for National Statistics published headline national crime figures that include centralised (Action Fraud) recording of fraud and a separate series which excludes fraud.  Due to the staggered move of recording fraud offences by forces to Action Fraud, crime figures are shown excluding fraud offences to allow for consistent comparisons. (2) Number of Penalty Notices for Disorder issued to offenders aged 16 and over.

| England and Wales                                                          | Thousands   |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------|
| 12 months ending                                                           |             |
| Percentage                                                                 |             |
| change 12                                                                  |             |
| months ending                                                              |             |
| Mar-13 to Mar-                                                             |             |
| 14                                                                         |             |
| March                                                                      |             |
| 2004                                                                       |             |
| March                                                                      |             |
| 2005                                                                       |             |
| March                                                                      |             |
| 2006                                                                       |             |
| March                                                                      |             |
| 2007                                                                       |             |
| March                                                                      |             |
| 2008                                                                       |             |
| March                                                                      |             |
| 2009                                                                       |             |
| March                                                                      |             |
| 2010                                                                       |             |
| March                                                                      |             |
| 2011                                                                       |             |
| March                                                                      |             |
| 2012                                                                       |             |
| March                                                                      |             |
| 2013                                                                       |             |
| March                                                                      |             |
| 2014                                                                       |             |
| Crime measured by Crime Survey for England and Wales                       |             |
| (1)                                                                        |             |
| 11,417                                                                     | 10,550      |
| Notifiable offences                                                        |             |
| offences recorded by the police                                            |             |
| (3)(4)                                                                     |             |
| 5,844                                                                      | 5,477       |
| Number of offenders cautioned                                              |             |
| (5)                                                                        |             |
| 250                                                                        |             |
| of which for indictable offences                                           |             |
| (6)                                                                        |             |
| 154                                                                        |             |
| Number of offenders issued Penalty Notices for Disorder                    | *           |
| of which for indictable offences                                           |             |
| (6)                                                                        |             |
| *                                                                          | *           |
| Number of offences detected by means of cannabis warnings (all indictable) |             |
| (3)                                                                        |             |
| *                                                                          | 40          |
| Defendants proceeded against at magistrates' courts                        | 2,057       |
| of which for indictable offences                                           |             |
| (6)                                                                        |             |
| 502                                                                        |             |
| Defendants found guilty at magistrates' courts                             | 1,481       |
| of which for indictable offences                                           |             |
| (6)                                                                        |             |
| 276                                                                        |             |
| Defendants sentenced at the Crown Court after summary conviction           | 16          |
| Defendants tried at the Crown Court                                        | 78          |
| Defendants found guilty at the Crown Court                                 | 60          |
| of which for indictable offences                                           |             |
| (6)                                                                        |             |
| 57                                                                         |             |
| Total offenders found guilty at both courts                                | 1,541       |
| of which for indictable offences                                           |             |
| (6)                                                                        |             |
| 334                                                                        |             |
| Total offenders found guilty or cautioned                                  |             |
| (5)                                                                        |             |
| 1,791                                                                      |             |
| of which for indictable offences                                           |             |
| (6)                                                                        |             |
| 487                                                                        |             |
| Total sentenced (offenders)                                                | 1,539       |
| Magistrates' court                                                         | 1,463       |
| Crown Court                                                                | 76          |
| Sentence                                                                   |             |
| Custody                                                                    | 109         |
| Suspended Sentence                                                         | 3           |
| Community Sentence                                                         | 194         |
| Fine                                                                       | 1,078       |
|                                                                            | 846         |
| Other Sentences                                                            | 156         |

*' = Not apllicable
(1) The offenders dealt with outside of court and defendants proceeded against at magistrates' court in a given year may not relate to the same cases measured by the Crime Survey for England and Wales (known until 1 April 2012 as the British Crime Survey) or those recorded to the police within the same year. The Crime Survey for England and Wales estimates relate to crimes experienced in the 12 months prior to interview. Further, offenders found guilty in a given year may have been proceeded against in an earlier year.

(2) Not statistically significant, see Section 8 of the User Guide to Crime Statistics for England and Wales: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/taxonomy/index.html?nscl=Crime+in+England+and+Wales
(3) Includes British Transport Police.

(4) Excluding fraud offences.  For the year ending March 2013 figures, the Office for National Statistics published headline national crime figures that include centralised (Action Fraud) recording of fraud and a separate series which excludes fraud.  Due to the staggered move of recording fraud offences by forces to Action Fraud, crime figures are shown excluding fraud offences to allow for consistent comparisons.  
(5) Cautions, written warnings and all fixed penalties for summary motoring offences are not covered in this volume but are published in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin, ' Motoring offences and breath tests'. (6) Indictable offences include those triable-either-way.

This table is too large to put in the publication, please see overview tables https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/criminal-justice-statistics-quarterly  
 

Number of offences (thousands) 
Cautions
Convictions
 Offences Taken into 
Consideration 
Offences Brought to Justice
Recorded Crime(2)
Penalty Notice for Disorder
Cannabis Warnings(P)
CJS Areas
12 Month 
ending March 
2013
12 Month 
ending 
March2014
12 months 
ending March 
2013
12 months 
ending March 
2014
12 months 
ending March 
2013
12 months 
ending March 
2014
12 months 
ending March 
2013
12 months 
ending March 
2014
12 months 
ending March 
2013
12 months 
ending March 
2014
12 months 
ending March 
2013
12 months 
ending March 
2014
12 months 
ending March 
2013
12 months 
ending March 
2014
England & Wales
3,553.2
3,506.7
61.9
45.5
69.2
64.0
205.5
184.5
677.3
675.3
55.2
40.9
1069.2
1010.2
Avon & Somerset
97.9
96.9
1.7
1.2
2.1
1.9
7.3
6.5
21.4
20.9
2.3
2.2
34.8
32.7
Bedfordshire
35.1
36.3
0.3
0.3
0.5
0.4
2.0
1.8
6.4
6.3
0.9
0.5
10.0
9.3
British Transport Police
51.7
49.1
1.5
1.4
1.2
1.6
3.0
3.0
0.1
0.1
0.2
0.1
6.0
6.2
Cambridgeshire
45.6
44.0
1.1
0.7
1.3
1.1
2.2
1.9
7.8
7.9
0.9
0.8
13.2
12.5
Cheshire
56.6
54.9
0.7
0.5
0.9
0.9
2.9
2.2
11.5
11.9
0.7
0.4
16.7
15.9
Cleveland
39.2
39.0
0.5
0.4
0.5
0.6
3.6
2.7
11.3
11.2
0.6
0.3
16.6
15.2
Cumbria
23.0
24.0
0.4
0.4
0.4
0.4
2.1
1.8
7.4
7.3
0.1
0.1
10.4
10.0
Derbyshire
50.8
52.5
0.7
0.6
1.0
1.0
2.5
2.1
10.6
11.0
0.8
0.6
15.6
15.4
Devon & Cornwall
84.0
85.2
1.1
0.8
1.8
1.8
6.3
5.4
14.5
14.3
1.0
1.2
24.8
23.5
Dorset
39.8
37.2
0.5
0.3
0.6
0.6
2.1
1.7
6.4
6.8
0.3
0.4
9.7
9.8
Co. Durham & Darlington
29.8
32.8
0.8
0.6
0.3
0.4
3.1
3.0
7.9
8.1
0.7
0.6
12.9
12.7
Dyfed Powys 
18.7
18.6
0.7
0.6
1.0
0.9
3.7
3.0
6.2
6.3
0.1
0.0
11.8
10.8
Essex
98.6
99.3
1.3
1.2
1.3
1.4
6.0
5.5
17.4
18.8
0.8
1.1
26.8
28.1
Gloucestershire
29.6
29.5
0.2
0.2
0.6
0.4
1.7
1.4
5.1
5.3
0.3
0.5
7.8
7.8
Greater Manchester
180.4
181.9
2.3
1.2
3.4
2.3
7.4
6.3
40.7
40.0
2.4
2.2
56.2
52.0
Gwent
33.9
35.4
1.3
0.9
0.5
0.4
3.2
2.7
9.1
8.2
0.2
0.2
14.3
12.4
Hampshire & Isle of Wight
107.1
103.5
1.7
1.4
2.4
2.4
5.8
5.1
23.7
22.2
1.0
1.1
34.5
32.2
Hertfordshire
52.1
51.4
2.1
1.7
1.7
1.9
4.7
4.1
12.4
11.9
1.4
0.9
22.4
20.6
Humberside
62.8
65.9
1.3
0.8
0.6
0.6
3.5
2.9
14.9
15.3
1.2
0.7
21.4
20.3
Kent
98.4
108.9
2.8
1.7
0.9
1.0
7.9
6.5
17.5
18.7
2.7
0.9
32.0
28.9
Lancashire
92.4
95.4
2.1
1.1
1.0
1.0
6.8
4.8
25.1
23.7
2.7
1.0
37.7
31.6
Leicestershire
58.3
60.8
0.9
0.7
1.1
1.0
4.1
3.4
11.0
10.4
1.8
1.2
18.9
16.6
Lincolnshire
37.1
36.0
0.8
0.5
0.5
0.5
2.2
2.1
7.6
6.9
0.5
0.5
11.6
10.5
London
749.3
704.2
10.3
7.3
21.6
19.5
30.9
31.8
102.6
104.2
8.9
6.1
174.4
168.9
Merseyside
89.8
93.3
3.7
3.0
2.6
2.7
4.1
3.7
20.4
20.9
0.4
0.6
31.2
30.8
Norfolk
37.8
38.1
0.8
0.6
0.7
0.9
3.4
3.3
9.9
9.9
1.0
1.1
15.8
15.8
North Wales
37.7
36.5
0.8
0.5
0.5
0.6
2.3
2.2
8.9
9.1
0.4
0.3
12.9
12.8
North Yorkshire
34.5
34.5
0.5
0.3
0.7
0.8
1.9
1.9
7.2
7.0
0.5
0.2
12.8
12.1
Northamptonshire
46.3
40.9
0.3
0.2
0.5
0.5
2.6
2.4
20.7
19.9
0.8
0.9
11.4
11.1
Northumbria
66.9
70.1
1.2
0.9
1.4
1.1
6.5
6.8
9.3
9.0
1.1
0.9
30.9
29.6
Nottinghamshire
67.5
68.5
0.5
0.2
1.5
1.3
6.2
5.1
13.7
13.5
1.2
0.7
23.1
20.8
South Wales
83.9
82.1
2.1
1.7
1.2
1.1
4.6
4.6
21.4
22.5
2.0
1.7
31.3
31.6
South Yorkshire
92.6
91.7
2.0
1.4
1.0
0.9
3.5
3.5
15.9
17.3
3.4
1.5
25.8
24.6
Staffordshire
58.1
59.4
1.1
0.8
1.0
1.1
3.8
2.7
10.8
11.2
0.9
0.4
17.7
16.2
Suffolk
39.3
36.4
0.5
0.3
0.5
0.6
2.5
2.2
8.3
8.3
0.5
0.5
12.3
12.0
Surrey
51.8
48.5
1.2
0.9
1.3
1.2
2.3
2.1
9.0
9.1
0.6
0.3
14.4
13.6
Sussex
89.4
83.4
0.9
0.8
1.6
1.3
6.4
5.2
17.4
15.9
0.4
0.1
26.8
23.4
Thames Valley
131.8
127.5
3.6
2.8
2.0
1.7
7.6
7.0
22.0
20.0
1.7
1.5
36.8
32.9
Warwickshire
29.1
28.4
0.6
0.4
0.4
0.3
1.8
1.7
4.0
4.1
0.3
0.5
7.1
6.9
West Mercia
59.5
58.0
0.7
0.6
1.0
0.9
4.2
3.8
11.6
10.7
0.2
0.2
17.7
16.2
West Midlands
168.8
174.5
2.0
1.8
1.5
1.1
6.2
5.4
33.5
34.9
1.0
1.0
44.2
44.2
West Yorkshire
162.4
159.5
2.0
1.6
2.0
1.6
7.9
7.3
28.7
28.2
5.6
4.4
46.2
43.1
Wiltshire
33.6
32.8
0.5
0.4
0.5
0.5
2.3
1.3
6.1
6.1
0.5
0.3
9.9
8.6

'*' = Not applicable
(P) Provisional
(1) The number of Offences Brought to Justice (OBTJ) is in part affected by the number of recorded crimes in an area. If recorded crime in an area falls there will be fewer offences which can potentially be brought to justice. (2) Excluding fraud offences. For the year ending March 2013 figures, the Office for National Statistics published headline national crime figures that include centralised (Action Fraud) recording of fraud and a separate series which excludes fraud.  Due to the staggered move of recording fraud offences by forces to Action Fraud, crime figures are shown excluding fraud offences to allow for consistent comparisons.  
Notes TIC and Cannabis warning figures are provisional and may be revised following Home Office validation. National Statistics for the financial year 2013/14 will be published during 2014 by the Home Office.

TIC data excludes fraud to allow for a fair comparison over time. Over the last few years the recording of fraud offences and outcomes has moved from police forces to Action Fraud.

## Revisions Policy

 
In accordance with Principle 2 of the Code of Practice for Office Statistics, the Ministry of Justice is required to publish transparent guidance on its policy for revisions.  A copy of this statement can be found at: 
www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/statistics/mojstats/statistics-revisions-policy.pdf 
 
The Ministry of Justice aims to avoid the need for revisions to publications unless they are absolutely necessary and put systems and processes in place to minimise the number of revisions. Within the Ministry of Justice's statistical publications there can be three main reasons for statistics to be revised:  

 
Changes in how either source administrative systems collect information 
or a change in statistical methodology to improve accuracy and measurement. 
 
Receipt of subsequent information which alters our understanding of 
previous periods (for example - late recording on one of the administrative IT systems used operationally). 
 
Errors in our statistical systems and processes.  
Our policy in handling revisions is to be transparent with users about:  

 
The need for revisions.  
 
How and when to expect revisions as part of our standard processes. 
 
The processes by which other revisions will be communicated and 
published.  
To meet these commitments, all of our statistical publications will:  

 
Ensure that the need for major revisions for any series are pre-announced 
on the Ministry of Justice website. 
 
Include a detailed revisions policy within every release.  
 
Detail how users will be informed of the need for revisions.  
 
Give detailed and full explanations as to why the revisions were 
necessary.  
In addition, the annual report from the Head of Profession to the National Statistician will: 

 
Provide information on how many revisions were required to our 
publications and the reasons for these.  
 
Publish a time-series of revisions due to errors in our statistical processes 
and procedures so we can monitor the quality of our outputs.  

## 

Explanatory Notes 
 
The statistics in this bulletin relate to cases in the Crown Court and magistrates' courts in England and Wales during 12 months ending March 2014. This bulletin subsumes a number of previous bulletins including Criminal Statistics: England & 
Wales, Quarterly Sentencing Statistics, and Young People aged 10-17 receiving their first reprimand, warning or conviction. 

Symbols and conventions  
 
The following symbols have been used throughout the tables in this bulletin: 
- = Nil * = Not applicable 
.. = Not available (R) = Revised data (P) = Provisional data  
 
Guidance on tables and supplementary volumes This bulletin is supported by a range of Excel spreadsheet workbooks, pivot tables and CSV files, presenting statistics for the latest calendar year, alongside back series for previous comparable years where applicable. These workbooks, pivot tables and CSV files can be accessed at: 
www.gov.uk/government/collections/criminal-justice-statistics-quarterly Contacts 
 
Press enquiries should be directed to the Ministry of Justice press office: 
Tel: 020 3334 3536  
Email: newsdesk@justice.gsi.gov.uk Other enquiries about these statistics should be directed to the Justice Statistics Analytical Services division of the Ministry of Justice: 
John Marais, (Acting) Chief Statistician Ministry of Justice, 7th Floor, 102 Petty France, London, SW1H 9AJ  
Email: statistics.enquiries@justice.gsi.gov.uk 
 

General enquiries about the statistical work of the Ministry of Justice can be e-mailed 
to: statistics.enquiries@justice.gsi.gov.uk General information about the official statistics system of the UK is available from: 
www.statistics.gov.uk © Crown copyright Produced by the Ministry of Justice Alternative formats are available on request from 
statistics.enquiries@justice.gsi.gov.uk