MAPPA Annual Report 2016-17
Source: data.gov.uk (2018-05-25)

Multi-agency public protection arrangements statistics. This annual publication presents the number of MAPPA eligible offenders in England and Wales, and information related to these offenders, including a summary of the information provided in the MAPPA reports published by each of the areas.

Ministry of Justice 
Statistics Bulletin  
 
 
26 October 2017 
 

 
1 
 
Introduction 
Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) are a set of statutory 
arrangements to assess and manage the risk posed by certain sexual and 
violent offenders. They are established by virtue of Sections 325 to 327 of 
the Criminal Justice Act 2003.  
MAPPA bring together the Police, Probation and Prison Services into what is 
known as the MAPPA Responsible Authority for each MAPPA Area. MAPPA 
Areas are coterminous with police force areas, as set out in the Police Act 
1996. 
A number of other agencies are under a duty to co-operate with the 
Responsible Authority. These include: Children’s Services, Adult Social 
Services, Health Trusts and Authorities, Youth Offending Teams, Home 
Office Immigration Enforcement, local housing authorities and certain 
registered social landlords, Jobcentre Plus, and electronic monitoring 
providers. 
Offenders eligible for MAPPA are identified and information is gathered and 
shared about them across relevant agencies. The nature and level of the risk 
of harm they pose is assessed and a coordinated risk management plan is 
implemented to protect the public. Although risk of harm can be managed, it 
cannot be eliminated. 
By virtue of the Criminal Justice Act 2003, there are 3 broad categories of 
offender eligible for MAPPA: 
 Category 1 - Registered sexual offenders: offenders who have been 
convicted of a specified sexual offence1 and/or to whom the 
notification requirements under Part 2 of the Sexual Offences Act 
2003 apply (and who are therefore required to notify the Police of 
their name, address and other personal details, and notify the Police 
of any subsequent changes); 
 Category 2 - Violent offenders: offenders convicted of a specified 
violent offence2 and sentenced to imprisonment/detention for 12 
months or more, or detained under a hospital order. This category 
also includes a small number of sexual offenders who do not qualify 
for the notification requirements that apply to Category 1 offenders; 
and 
                                            
1 See appendix , MAPPA Guidance 2012, for qualifying offences: 
http://www.justice.gov.uk/offenders/multi-agency-public-protection-arrangements 
 
2 See appendix 4, MAPPA Guidance 2012, for qualifying offences: 
http://www.justice.gov.uk/offenders/multi-agency-public-protection-arrangements 

 
2 
 
 Category 3 - Other Dangerous Offenders: offenders who do not 
qualify under Categories 1 or 2 but have been assessed as currently 
posing a risk of serious harm. The link between the offence they have 
perpetrated and the risk that they pose means that they require active 
multi-agency management. 
Under MAPPA, there are 3 levels at which offenders are managed, which 
reflect the level of multi-agency co-operation required to implement 
effectively the individual offender’s risk management plan. Offenders may be 
moved up or down the levels to reflect changes in the level of risk that they 
present or the action required to manage it. 
 Level 1 - Ordinary Agency Management. These offenders are subject 
to the usual management arrangements applied by whichever agency 
has the lead in supervising them. Information will usually be 
exchanged between relevant agencies, especially between police and 
probation, but formal multi-agency meetings will not be held to 
discuss the offender’s case. Offenders will be managed under 
ordinary agency management in most cases. 
 Level 2 - Active Multi-agency Management. The risk management 
plans for these offenders require the active involvement of several 
agencies via regular multi-agency public protection meetings.  
 Level 3 - Active Multi-agency Management. As with offenders 
managed at Level 2, the active involvement of several agencies is 
required; however, the risk presented by offenders managed at 
Level 3 means that the involvement of senior staff from those 
agencies is required to authorise the use of additional resources, 
such as for specialised accommodation.  
 
Users and uses of these Statistics 
The United Kingdom Statistics Authority has designated these statistics as 
National Statistics, in accordance with the Statistics and Registration Service 
Act 2007 and signifying compliance with the Code of Practice for Official 
Statistics: http://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/assessment/code-of-practice  
Designation can be broadly interpreted to mean that the statistics:  
• meet identified user needs;  
• are well explained and readily accessible;  
• are produced according to sound methods; and  
• are managed impartially and objectively in the public interest.  
Once statistics have been designated as National Statistics it is a statutory 
requirement that the Code of Practice shall continue to be observed. 

 
3 
 
This report relates to offenders in England and Wales only. Information on 
MAPPA in Scotland can be found here: 
http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Justice/policies/reducing-reoffending/sex-
offender-management/protection 
Information on MAPPA in Northern Ireland can be found here: 
http://www.publicprotectionni.com/ 
The contents of the report will be of interest to the public, the media, and 
agencies responsible for offender management at both national and local 
levels, government policy makers and others who want to understand more 
about MAPPA eligible offenders – including registered sex offenders, the 
use of restrictive orders and serious further offences. 
The statistics included in this publication meet a broad spectrum of user 
needs as shown below. 
 
User  
Summary of main statistical needs  
MoJ Ministers  
Statistics are used to monitor the MAPPA 
offender caseload, use of some restrictive 
orders and serious further offences.  
MPs and House of Lords  
Statistics are used to answer parliamentary 
questions. 
Policy teams  
Statistics are used to inform policy 
development, to monitor impact of changes 
over time and to model future changes and 
their impact on the system. 
Agencies responsible for 
offender management  
Current and historical administrative data are 
used to support performance management 
information at national and local levels to 
complement their understanding of the 
current picture and trends over time  
Academia, students and 
businesses  
Statistics are used as a source for research 
purposes and to support lectures, 
presentations and conferences.  
Journalists  
Statistics are used as a compendium of data 
on MAPPA offenders so that an accurate and 
coherent story can be told on this subset of 
the offender population.  
Voluntary sector  
Statistics are used to monitor trends of 
MAPPA offenders, to reuse the data in their 
own briefing and research papers and to 
inform policy work and provide responses to 
consultations.  
General public  
Statistics are used to respond to ad-hoc 
requests and requests made under the 
Freedom of Information Act.  
 
 
 
 

 
4 
 
Related publications 
Offender Management Statistics Quarterly Bulletin3: This bulletin provides key 
statistics relating to offenders who are in prison or supervised by the National 
Probation Service or Community Rehabilitation Companies. It covers flows into 
these services (receptions into prison or probation starts) and flows out (releases 
from prison or probation terminations) as well as the caseload of both services at 
specific points in time. 
Release Schedule 
This bulletin was published on 26 October 2017 and includes financial year 
statistics for the year 2016/17. 
The next publication of Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements is scheduled 
to be published in October 2018. 
                                            
3 Offender Management Statistics https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/offender-management-
statistics-quarterly  

 
5 
 
Key findings 
 On 31 March 2017 there were 76,794 MAPPA-eligible offenders. Of 
these, 72% were Category 1 offenders (Registered Sexual Offenders), 
27.6% were Category 2 offenders (Violent Offenders) and less than 0.5% 
were Category 3 offenders (Other Dangerous Offenders). The large 
majority of cases (98%) were managed at Level 1 – ordinary agency 
management.  
Figure 1: MAPPA-eligible offenders by category on 31 March 2010 – 
2017  
 
 The total number of MAPPA-eligible offenders on 31 March 2017 was 7% 
higher than on 31 March 2016. The average annual rate of increase is 
about 7% since 2007/08. 
 50% of the increase in MAPPA eligible offenders is accounted for by an 
increase in Category 1 offenders and 48% of the increase is accounted 
for by an increase in Category 2 offenders. In 2015/16 90% of the 
increase in MAPPA eligible offenders was accounted for by an increase 
in Category 1 offenders and 10% of the increase was accounted for by 
an increase in Category 2 offenders.  
 There were 108 Category 1 offenders (Registered Sexual Offenders) per 
100,000 of the population aged 10 and over on 31 March 2016/17. This 
is an increase from 104 on 31 March 2016 and continues a trend of 
successive annual increases.  

 
6 
 
 A total of 697 Level 2 and Level 3 MAPPA offenders were returned to 
custody for a breach of licence conditions in 2016/17, a reduction of 9% 
from 2015/16 and representing 15% of the total number of offenders 
managed at levels 2 and 3 in the community over the course of 2016/17. 
 The number of MAPPA-eligible offenders charged with Serious Further 
Offences (SFOs) in 2016/17 was 217. This is an increase of 24 (or 12%) 
from 2015/16 when there were 193 offenders charged with an SFO.  

 
7 
 
MAPPA eligible offenders 
On 31 March 2017 there were 76,794 MAPPA-eligible offenders.  
Around three quarters (72%) of MAPPA-eligible offenders were Category 1 
offenders (Registered Sexual Offenders) and the vast majority of cases 
(98%) were managed at Level 1 (Table 1). 
Table 1: MAPPA-eligible offenders on 31 March 2017  
 
The total number of MAPPA-eligible offenders on 31 March 2017 is an 
increase of 7% when compared with the number on 31 March 2016 (Table 
2); this is consistent with annual increases since 2009.  
Table 2: MAPPA-eligible offenders by Category on 31 March  
 
In 2014/15 and 2015/6 the increase in the number of MAPPA-eligible 
offenders was driven primarily by an increase in the number of Category 1 
offenders. However, in 2016/17, approximately half (48%) of the increase in 
MAPPA-eligible offenders was due to an increase in Category 2 offenders.   
Category 1
Category 2
Category 3 (a)
Registered Sexual 
Offenders
Violent 
Offenders
Other Dangerous 
Offenders
Total 
Level 1
54,582
20,732
-
75,314
Level 2
609
439
278
1,326
Level 3
45
38
71
154
Total
55,236
21,209
349
76,794
(a) Category 3 offenders are only managed at Level 2 and Level 3.
Category 1
Category 2 (a)
Category 3 (a)
Year
Registered Sexual 
Offenders
Violent 
Offenders
Other Dangerous 
Offenders
Total 
2006/07
30,416
14,921
3,132
-
2007/08
31,392
16,249
2,569
-
2008/09
32,347
11,689
884
44,920
2009/10
34,939
13,307
633
48,879
2010/11
37,225
14,508
479
52,212
2011/12
40,345
14,947
412
55,704
2012/13
43,567
16,140
389
60,096
2013/14
46,102
18,649
332
65,083
2014/15
49,466
18,493
255
68,214
2015/16
52,770
18,847
288
71,905
2016/17
55,236
21,209
349
76,794
(a) Up to and including 2007/08 this figure was a yearly total; from 2008/09 this figure has been taken at 
31 March to align reporting methods. Category 1 has always been taken on 31 March of the relevant 
year.

 
8 
 
The number of Category 1 offenders per 100,000 head of population aged 
10 and over was 108 on 31 March 2017, continuing a steady annual trend 
(Table 3). 
Table 3: Category 1 Offenders (Registered Sexual Offenders) per 
100,000 population aged 10 or over 
 
 
The increase in the number of Category 1 offenders (Registered Sexual 
Offenders) is influenced by sentencing trends, in which the number of people 
convicted of sexual offences is increasing. Additionally, many sexual 
offenders are required to register for long periods of time, with some 
registering for life. This has a cumulative effect on the total number of 
offenders required to register at any one time.  
The number of Category 2 offenders increased generally about 9% annually 
from 2009/10 to 2013/14. Since then, the number stayed relatively stable at 
about 18,600 up to 2015/16. The increase to 21,209 in 2016/17 may be due 
to successive increases in the number of offenders convicted of violence 
against the person offences in the years to 31 March 2015 and 31 March 
20164. 
The number of Category 3 offenders (Other Dangerous Offenders) 
decreased annually from 2008/09 to 2014/15. However, it has been rising 
over the last two years, increasing by 61 in the year to 31 March 2017. The 
current total of 349 is lower than in some past years. 
 
                                            
4 See sentencing tables for more information: 
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-march-
2017  
Year
Number of Category 1 
offenders per 100,000 
population aged 10+
2006/07
64
2007/08
66
2008/09
67
2009/10
72
2010/11
76
2011/12
81
2012/13
88
2013/14
92
2014/15
98
2015/16
104
2016/17
108

 
9 
 
Change in legislation on sexual offenders 
A legal challenge in 2010 and a corresponding legislative response means 
there is now a mechanism in place, which allows qualifying sex offenders 
who are subject to notification requirements for life to apply for a review of 
this requirement. This applied from 1 September 2012 for adult offenders (15 
years after the commencement of the Sex Offenders Act 1997). Individuals 
subject to indefinite notification only become eligible to seek a review once 
they have been subject to the indefinite notification requirements for a period 
of at least 15 years for adults and 8 years for juveniles. Between April 2016 
and March 2017, 364 Registered Sexual Offenders had their lifetime 
notification requirements revoked on application, an increase from last year.   
 
On 21 April 2010, in the case of R (on the application of F and Angus Aubrey 
Thompson) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2010] UKSC 17, 
the Supreme Court upheld an earlier decision of the Court of Appeal and 
made a declaration of incompatibility under s.4 of the Human Rights Act 
1998 in respect of notification requirements for an indefinite period under 
section 82 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. 
This has been remedied by virtue of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 
(Remedial) Order 2012 which has introduced the opportunity for offenders 
subject to indefinite notification to seek a review; this was enacted on 30th 
July 2012.  
 
Persons will not come off the register automatically. Qualifying offenders will 
be required to submit an application to the police seeking a review of their 
indefinite notification requirements. This will only be once they have 
completed a minimum period of time subject to the notification requirements 
(15 years from the point of first notification following release from custody for 
the index offence for adults and 8 years for juveniles).  
 
Those who continue to pose a significant risk will remain on the register for 
life, if necessary. In the event that an offender is subject to a Sexual 
Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) or Sexual Harm Prevention Order 
(SHPO) the order must be discharged under section 108 of the Sexual 
Offences Act 2003 prior to an application for a review of their indefinite 
notification requirements. 
 
For more information, see the Home Office section of the gov.uk website: 
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sexual-offences-act-2003-
remedial-order-2012 
 

 
10 
 
Level 2 and 3 MAPPA eligible offenders 
Under MAPPA, there are 3 levels at which offenders are managed, which 
reflect the level of multi-agency co-operation required to effectively 
implement the individual offender’s risk management plan. Levels are 
dynamic and offenders can be moved between levels if that is what the risk 
assessment and risk management plan requires. 
At Levels 2 and 3, regular formal inter-agency meetings are held and so 
figures are collected on the number of offenders managed at these levels 
over the whole year as an indication of the number of cases in the 
community that require the increased oversight this provides. This is in 
contrast to the previous section, which used the number of offenders 
managed at the end of March. Offenders are only counted once, with cases 
counted at the highest level at which they have been managed throughout 
the reporting period.  
The collection of data on Level 2 and 3 offenders managed through the year 
has changed from 2015/16 onwards. These offenders are managed in prison 
(as they approach the end of their custodial periods) and also in the 
community following release. Data requests prior to 2015/16 did not limit 
information to those managed in the community. From 2015/16, MAPPA 
areas are asked to only supply figures for those offenders managed in the 
community. Therefore, figures for 2015/16 and 2016/17 are lower than and 
not comparable to figures in previous years. They also do not reflect the 
volume of MAPPA activities in prisons in preparation for releases. 
  
Table 4: Trends in MAPPA-eligible offenders in Level 2 and Level 3 by 
Category (financial year total)  
 
Year
Level 2
Level 3
Level 2
Level 3
Level 2
Level 3
Level 2
Level 3
2006/07
5,894
558
5,205
502
2,943
189
14,042
1,249
2007/08
5,271
507
4,057
402
2,406
163
11,734
1,072
2008/09
4,408
424
3,891
320
1,701
179
10,000
923
2009/10
3,833
362
3,499
313
1,461
168
8,793
843
2010/11
3,337
308
3,126
281
1,338
145
7,801
734
2011/12
2,956
298
2,750
242
1,233
124
6,939
664
2012/13
2,497
257
3,431
248
1,211
139
7,139
644
2013/14
2,238
244
3,196
248
1,237
143
6,671
635
2014/15
2,131
216
2,865
226
959
109
5,955
551
2015/16 (b)
1,893
166
2,011
134
924
109
4,828
409
2016/17
1,771
137
1,601
134
926
102
4,298
373
(b) The question given to MAPPA areas was changed in 2015/16 and so figures are not comparable with earlier years. Figures for 
2015/16 onwards only include offenders managed in the community, whereas in previous years some areas included those managed 
in prison.
Category 1
Category 2 (a)
Category 3 (a)
Total
(a) Figures in Category 2 and 3 are thought to be an undercount from 2006/xx-xxxx-xxxx, so should be viewed as a reflection of the 
overall trend in the number of MAPPA offenders rather than an absolute count. Figures before and after this point are not comparable.

 
11 
 
Breaches of notification requirements for Category 1 
Offenders (Registered Sexual Offenders) 
 
Category 1 offenders are required to notify the police of certain details, with 
further notification required if any of those details change (sometimes 
referred to as ‘being on the sex offenders register’). A breach of this 
notification requirement can lead to a caution or conviction. 
The number of Category 1 offenders who were cautioned or convicted for 
breaches of their notification requirement was 1,739 in 2016/17 (Table 5a).  
It should be noted that these figures relate to breaches of sexual offender 
registration requirements and are not recording new sexual offences.  
Table 5a: Number of Category 1 offenders (Registered Sexual 
Offenders) cautioned or convicted for breaches of the notification 
requirement  
 
 
The vast majority of Category 1 offenders cautioned or convicted for a 
breach of notification requirements were managed at Level 1 (96%), 
reflecting the large proportion of Category 1 cases managed at this level. 
Relatively few of those managed at level 2 and level 3 get cautioned or 
convicted for a breach of notification requirements – 4% for level 2 and 2% 
for level 3 in 2016/17 (Table 5b).  
 
Year
Number cautioned 
or convicted
2006/07
1,552
2007/08
1,634
2008/09
1,337
2009/10
1,518
2010/11
1,492
2011/12
1,371
2012/13
1,576
2013/14
2,057
2014/15
2,070
2015/16 (a)
1,547
2016/17
1,739
(a) Figures from 2015/16 onwards are not 
comparable with earlier years due to a 
change of data source.

 
12 
 
Table 5b: Number of Category 1 offenders (Registered Sexual 
Offenders) cautioned or convicted for breaches of the notification 
requirement by Level, 2016/17 
 
Number 
cautioned or 
convicted
Number of 
MAPPA-eligible 
offenders
Per cent 
cautioned or 
convicted
Category 1
1,739
-
-
Level 1 (a)
1,674
-
-
Level 2
62
1,771
4%
Level 3
3
137
2%
(a) Data on the number of Level 1 offenders is collected as a snapshot on 31 March 
(see Table 1). The total number of offenders over the year is only collected for Level 2 and 3
offenders as MAPPA meetings are only held for Level 2 and 3 offenders (see Table 4).

 
13 
 
Number of Restrictive Orders imposed 
The restrictive orders used to assist in managing the risks presented by an 
offender are Sexual Harm Prevention Orders (SHPOs) and Sexual Risk 
Orders, which were introduced by the Anti-Social Behaviour Crime and 
Policing Act 2014. They replace the previous Sexual Offences Prevention 
Orders (SOPOs), Risk of Sexual Harm Orders and Foreign Travel Orders 
(FTOs), which were introduced by the Sexual Offences Act 2003. SHPOs 
prohibit the defendant from doing anything described in the order, and can 
include a prohibition on foreign travel. See the Definitions section for further 
details. 
The number of SOPOs/SHPOs imposed annually continues to rise, reaching 
a high of 5,931 in 2016/17. However, the increase of 53% recorded in 
2016/17 is not comparable with increases in previous years since SHPOs 
replaced SOPOs in 2015/16. The criteria required for SHPOs to be granted 
by the Courts are wider than those for the previous orders. An offender must 
present a risk of sexual harm to be given a SHPO while an offender had to 
present a risk of serious sexual harm to be given a SOPO.  
The number of Notification Orders (NO) has generally been increasing in 
recent years, although there was a relatively big fall in 2015/16. It increased 
to 117 in 2016/17, about the same number of NOs as in 2013/14 (Table 6). 
Table 6: Sexual Offences Prevention Orders (SOPOs), Sexual Harm 
Prevention Orders (SHPOs), Notification Orders (NOs) and Foreign 
Travel Orders (FTOs) imposed by the courts  
 
SOPOs/SHPOs account for the majority of restrictive orders and are 
intended to protect the public from offenders convicted of a sexual or violent 
offence who pose a risk of sexual harm to the public by placing restrictions 
on their behaviour. For example, a SHPO could be used to prohibit an 
offender from being alone with children under 16. The offender is 
Year
SOPOs/SHPOs 
imposed(a)
NOs imposed
FTOs/SHPOs with 
Foreign Travel 
Restrictions 
imposed(a)
2006/07
1,114
62
3
2007/08
1,440
70
1
2008/09
1,512
72
12
2009/10
1,862
67
15
2010/11
2,438
74
22
2011/12
2,658
92
14
2012/13
3,064
87
13
2013/14
3,243
116
11
2014/15
3,706
137
4
2015/16
3,873
104
8
2016/17
5,931
117
4
(a) From 2015/16, SOPOs were replaced by SHPOs and FTOs with SHPOs with a foreign travel restriction.

 
14 
 
automatically made subject to sexual offender registration and, if the order is 
breached, may be liable to a maximum of 5 years imprisonment.  
All those offenders who are subject to a SHPO will be registered sex 
offenders though not all registered sex offenders will have a SHPO. The 
SHPO is specific to the offender and is tailored to manage specific risks. 

 
15 
 
Breaches of Sexual Risk Orders 
The Sexual Risk Order (SRO) has replaced the Risk of Sexual Harm Order 
and may be made in relation to a person without a conviction for a sexual or 
violent offence (or any offence), but who poses a risk  of sexual harm. The 
SRO may be made at the magistrates’ court on application by the police or 
National Crime Agency where an individual has committed an act of a sexual 
nature and as a result poses a risk of harm to the public in the UK or 
vulnerable adults or children overseas. 
An SRO may prohibit the person from doing anything described in it – this 
includes preventing travel overseas. Any prohibition must be necessary for 
protecting the public in the UK from sexual harm or, in relation to foreign 
travel, protecting children or vulnerable adults from sexual harm. An 
individual subject to an SRO is required to notify the police of their name and 
home address within three days of the order being made and also to notify 
them of any changes to this information within three days. 
An SRO lasts a minimum of two years and has no maximum duration, with 
the exception of any foreign travel restrictions which, if applicable, last for a 
maximum of five years (but may be renewed). A breach of an SRO is a 
criminal offence punishable by a maximum of five years’ imprisonment and 
being made subject to full notification requirements (being made a registered 
sexual offender). The criminal standard of proof continues to apply to the 
making of a SRO, the person concerned is able to appeal against the 
making of the order and the police or the person concerned are able to apply 
for the order to be varied, renewed or discharged. 
Between 1 April 2016 and 31 March 2017, 23 people became subject to 
notification requirements following a breach of an SRO. 
 
 

 
16 
 
Returns to Custody 
MAPPA Offenders who are aged 18 or over and released into the 
community on licence following a period of imprisonment will be supervised 
by the National Probation Service (NPS). Their licence will contain 
conditions. If the offender is found to have failed to comply or breached 
those conditions, the NPS may seek the revocation of the offender’s licence 
and the recall of the offender to custody.  
The Offender Rehabilitation Act (ORA) 2014 expanded licensed supervision 
so that anyone sentenced to more than a day in prison will receive at least 
12 months’ supervision on release. Prior to this, only those sentenced to 12 
months or more in prison were supervised on licence following release. This 
came into effect for offences committed from 1 February 2015. As a result, 
some Category 1 (Registered Sex Offenders) who would not previously have 
been subject to licence conditions became liable for a recall to custody for a 
breach of licence conditions. Category 2 (Violent Offenders) are unaffected 
by this as all will have received a sentence of at least 12 months. 
Category 1 offenders (Registered Sexual Offenders) who are subject to a 
SOPO/SHPO can also be recalled to custody for breaching these Orders. 
Figures on offenders returned to custody for breaches of licence conditions 
relate to all categories of MAPPA. Figures on offenders being sent to 
custody for breaches of a SOPO/SHPO relate to Category 1 offenders 
(Registered Sexual Offenders) managed at Levels 2 and 3 only. 
In 2016/17, 697 Level 2 and Level 3 MAPPA offenders were returned to 
custody for breach of their licence, a decrease of 9% from the previous year, 
continuing a general fall in this number since 2006/07 (Table 7a). However, 
the number of Level 2 and Level 3 MAPPA offenders has also fallen, so the 
proportion of Level 2 and 3 offenders returned to custody for breach of their 
licence has remained at 15% (Table 7b). 
Table 7a: Offenders managed at Level 2 and Level 3 returned to 
custody for a breach of licence  
 
Year
Level 2
Level 3
Total
2006/07
1,566
218
1,784
2007/08
1,451
208
1,659
2008/09
1,297
117
1,414
2009/10
997
119
1,116
2010/11
886
122
1,008
2011/12
786
91
877
2012/13
803
100
903
2013/14
762
88
850
2014/15
607
77
684
2015/16
705
60
765
2016/17
625
72
697

 
17 
 
 
The proportion of Category 1 offenders returned to custody (12%) is lower 
than that for Category 2 offenders (19%). However, not all Category 1 
offenders are subject to statutory licence conditions (Table 7b). 
 
Table 7b: Offenders managed at Level 2 and Level 3 returned to 
custody for a breach of licence, 2016/17 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Number returned 
to custody
Number of 
MAPPA-eligible 
offenders
Per cent 
returned to 
custody
Category 1
228
1,908
12%
Level 2
194
1,771
11%
Level 3
34
137
25%
Category 2
335
1,735
19%
Level 2
311
1,601
19%
Level 3
24
134
18%
Category 3
134
1,028
13%
Level 2
120
926
13%
Level 3
14
102
14%
Total
697
4,671
15%

 
18 
 
In 2016/17, there were 50 Level 2 and 3 Registered Sexual Offenders sent 
to custody for breach of their SOPO or SHPO, a decrease of 6% from the 
previous year (Table 7c). However, the number of Level 2 and Level 3 
Category 1 MAPPA offenders has also fallen, so the proportion of Level 2 
and 3 offenders sent to custody for breach of their SOPO or SHPO has 
remained at 3% (Table 7d). 
Table 7c: Category 1 Offenders (Registered Sexual Offenders) 
managed at Level 2 and Level 3 sent to custody for breach of SOPO or 
SHPO 
 
In 2016/17, Category 1 Level 3 offenders were more likely to be returned to 
custody for breach of a SOPO/SHPO than Level 2 offenders, although this is 
based on only a small number of Level 3 offenders (Table 7d). 
 
Table 7d: Category 1 Offenders (Registered Sexual Offenders) 
managed at Level 2 and Level 3 sent to custody for breach of SOPO or 
SHPO, 2016/17 
 
 
 
 
Year
Level 2
Level 3
Total
2006/07
72
17
89
2007/08
76
20
96
2008/09
58
10
68
2009/10
81
8
89
2010/11
45
12
57
2011/12
65
15
80
2012/13 (a)
-
-
-
2013/14
66
11
77
2014/15
57
7
64
2015/16 (b)
38
15
53
2016/17
44
6
50
(a) 2012/13 figures have been removed due to quality issues with this year's data.
(b) SHPOs replaced SOPOs in 2015/16.
Number sent to 
custody
Number of 
MAPPA-eligible 
offenders
Per cent sent to 
custody
Category 1
50
1,908
3%
Level 2
44
1,771
2%
Level 3
6
137
4%

 
19 
 
Serious Further Offences 
For the purposes of this bulletin, a serious further offence (SFO) is an 
offence which an offender under probation supervision is alleged to have 
committed where that alleged offence qualifies for a SFO Review5.  The 
criteria for a SFO Review are set out in the Definitions section.  
The number of MAPPA-eligible offenders (supervised by Probation) charged 
with an SFO has been increasing generally since 2010/11 at a rate of 
around 8% per year, excluding the unusually high increase in 2014/15. The 
217 offenders charged with a serious further offence (SFO) in 2016/17 
represent a 12% increase in offenders charged with a SFO in 2015/16 
(Table 8) compared with a 7% increase in the number of MAPPA-eligible 
offenders over the same period. However, the proportion of MAPPA Level 2 
and Level 3 offenders charged with a SFO has fallen from 0.6% in 2015/16 
to 0.4% in 2016/17 and remains a low proportion of offenders. 
 
Table 8: MAPPA-eligible offenders supervised by Probation in England 
and Wales, charged with a Serious Further Offence 2006/xx-xxxx-xxxx 
 
 
                                            
5 An offender may be charged with more than one serious further offence.  
Year
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Total
2006/07
..
69
13
-
2007/08
..
72
7
-
2008/09 (a)
..
40
8
-
2009/10
162
31
3
196
2010/11
108
23
3
134
2011/12
116
24
7
147
2012/13
125
18
6
149
2013/14
143
28
3
174
2014/15
185
36
1
222
2015/16
164
28
1
193
2016/17
200
16
1
217
(a) On 01/12/2008, Probation Circular 22/2008 introduced changes in the 
process for notification and the subsequent review of SFOs. As a result, the 
figures for 2008/09 include cases before and after the changes and therefore 
are not directly comparable with the previous and subsquent year. 
Note: (..) indicates that these data were not collected at Level 1 from 2006/07 
to 2008/09 and therefore that a Total is not available, indicated by (-).

 
20 
 
Table 9a shows the MAPPA Category and Level for the 217 MAPPA-eligible 
offenders charged with a serious further offence during 2016/17.  
Table 9a: MAPPA-eligible offenders supervised by Probation in 
England and Wales, charged with a Serious Further Offence in 2016/17
 
Table 9b shows the outcomes of serious further offences during 2016/17. 
Recorded outcomes for those charged are not always available within the 
reporting year and so the total number of outcomes in Table 9b will not 
equal the total charges in Table 9a. 
Table 9b: Outcomes of SFO cases in 2016/17 
 
Table 9b shows that 139 offenders were convicted of a serious further 
offence during 2016/17 and 62 offenders’ cases resulted in another 
outcome, such as acquittal or conviction of an offence which does not meet 
the SFO definition. 
A further 92 offenders remained still charged with a serious further offence 
as at the end of March 2017.  
 
Offenders charged with 
an SFO in 2016/17 (a) 
Category 1
Category 2
Category 3
Total
Level 1
88
112
-
200
Level 2
9
2
5
16
Level 3
0
1
0
1
Total
97
115
5
217
(a) As defined in Probation Instruction 10/2011.
Note: '-' indicates that Category 3 offenders are only maanged at Levels 2 and 3.
Outcome: (a)
Conviction for 
SFO
Offender still 
charged with 
SFO at 31 
March 2017
Any other 
outcome (b)
Total
Category 1
Level 1
61
33
19
113
Level 2
7
2
2
11
Level 3
0
0
0
0
Category 2
Level 1
67
54
32
153
Level 2
3
1
2
6
Level 3
0
0
1
1
Category 3
Level 2
1
2
6
9
Level 3
0
0
0
0
Total
139
92
62
293
(a) As defined in Probation Instruction 10/2011.
(b) Any Other Outcomes include case dismissed and charge changed to a lesser non-SFO offence.

 
21 
 
MAPPA Serious Case Review 
It is mandatory for a MAPPA Serious Case Review to be carried out by the 
local MAPPA Strategic Management Board where a MAPPA offender 
managed at either Level 2 or 3 is charged with committing or attempting to 
commit an offence of murder, manslaughter or rape. A MAPPA Serious 
Case Review may also be conducted on a discretionary basis in other 
circumstances. 
Areas were asked to report on the number of MAPPA SCRs completed for 
cases managed at Level 2 and 3. In 2016/17, there were 6 MAPPA Serious 
Case Reviews managed at Level 2 at the time of the charge and none 
managed at Level 3 at the time of the charge. 
 
 

 
22 
 
Serious Further Offences by MAPPA Area 
Information on serious further offences at MAPPA area level are published 
alongside this statistics bulletin in the Ministry of Justice section of the 
gov.uk website:  
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/series/multi-
agency-public-protection-arrangements-mappa-annual-reports  
These tables cover:  
 MAPPA eligible offenders supervised by Probation in England and 
Wales, charged with a Serious Further Offence in 2016/17 (Table 10) 
 MAPPA eligible offenders supervised by Probation in England and 
Wales, charged with and subsequently convicted of a Serious Further 
Offence in 2016/17 by 31 March 2017 (Table 11) 
 MAPPA eligible offenders supervised by Probation  in England and 
Wales, charged with a Serious Further Offence in 2016/17 who remained 
charged on 31 March 2017 (Table 12) 
 MAPPA eligible offenders supervised by Probation in England and 
Wales, charged with a Serious Further Offence in 2016/17 resulting in 
any other outcome (Table 13) 
 MAPPA Serious Case Review resulting from Level 2 and Level 3 
offenders charged with a Serious Further Offence 2016/17 (Table 14)

 
23 
 
  
Data Sources, Quality and Revisions 
The data presented in this brief are drawn from MAPPA areas’ local 
administrative IT systems. The data are submitted by areas at summary 
rather than individual level so detail on specific offenders and any 
subsequent focus on individuals is not possible from this dataset. 
 
Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail 
collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording 
system. 
 
The data are collected for a financial year and are submitted on an annual 
basis. During the data collection process, areas may identify the need to 
correct or amend the previous year’s data. If required, these are made in the 
following year’s report. A footnote on the relevant table will indicate the scale 
of the revision. 
 
 
Explanatory notes 
Unless otherwise stated, the yearly totals refer to the period between 1 April 
of a given year and 31 March the following year. 
The following symbols have been used throughout the tables in this bulletin:  
-   
= Not applicable 
0  
= Nil 
..  
= Not available 
(r)  
= Revised data 
(p)  
= Provisional data 
══  
= Discontinuity in the series 
 
 
 

 
24 
 
Definitions 
Breach of licence – Since 1 June 2014, offenders who are aged 18 and 
over and released into the community following a period of at least 12 
months imprisonment will be supervised by either the National Probation 
Service or a Community Rehabilitation Company, subject to a licence with 
conditions. If the offender is found to have failed to comply or breached 
those conditions, action may be taken to recall the offender back to custody. 
The Offender Rehabilitation Act 2014 (ORA) extended licence supervision to 
include those with sentences of less than 12 months, meaning these 
offenders can be recalled to custody for breach of licence. ORA applies to 
convictions for offences committed from 1 February 2015 onwards. 
Foreign Travel Orders (FTO) – A restrictive order that could be applied to 
prevent offenders with convictions for sexual offences against children from 
travelling abroad, where it was considered necessary to protect children from 
the risk of sexual harm. The Order was granted by the Court on application 
from the Police. From 2015/16 onwards, FTOs have been replaced by 
Sexual Harm Prevention Orders with a foreign travel restriction. 
MAPPA-eligible offenders – Offenders defined in law as eligible for 
MAPPA management, because they have committed specified sexual and 
violent offences, or have been assessed as presenting a serious risk of harm 
to the public. 
MAPPA Serious Case Review (MAPPA SCR) – It is mandatory for a 
MAPPA SCR to be commissioned by the local MAPPA Strategic 
Management Board where a MAPPA offender managed at either Level 2 or 
3 is charged with committing an offence of murder, manslaughter or rape, or 
attempting to commit murder or rape. 
MAPPA SCRs may also be conducted on a discretionary basis in the 
following circumstances:  
 where a MAPPA offender managed at Level 1 is charged with 
committing an offence of murder, manslaughter or rape, or attempting 
to commit murder or rape; or 
 where a MAPPA offender managed at any level is charged with one 
of the serious offences listed in Probation Instruction 15/20146; or 
 where it is assessed that it would be in the public interest to 
undertake a review.  
                                            
6 Probation Instruction 15/2014 supersedes Probation Instruction 10/2011 and Probation 
Circular 22/2008. See http://www.justice.gov.uk/offenders/probation/probation-instructions  

 
25 
 
The purpose of the review is to examine the activity of the agencies involved 
in the management of the offender and whether MAPPA guidance and 
policies were followed appropriately.  
The MAPPA SCR should identify whether there are lessons to be learned 
from the way in which the case was managed and how they will be acted 
upon. A MAPPA SCR and Probation SFO review (see below) may be 
conducted simultaneously. 
Notification Order – A restrictive order which requires sexual offenders who 
have been convicted of a sexual offence overseas to register with the UK 
police, in order to protect the public in the UK from any risk that they pose. 
Police may apply to the court for the order in relation to offenders living in, or 
intending to come to, the UK. 
Restrictive Orders – Orders used to assist in managing the risks presented 
by an offender. These include Sexual Harm Prevention Orders and Sexual 
Risk Orders, which were introduced by the Anti-Social Behaviour Crime and 
Policing Act 2014. They replaced the previous Sexual Offences Prevention 
Orders, Risk of Sexual Harm Orders and Foreign Travel Orders, which were 
introduced by the Sexual Offences Act 2003 (see individual definitions).  
Serious Further Offence (SFO) – For the purposes of this Bulletin, an 
offender under probation supervision, normally either subject to a court order 
or on supervision after release from a custodial sentence, who is charged 
with a serious sexual or violent offence will be considered to have committed 
an SFO if his or her offence qualifies for a SFO review (see SFO Review 
Process next). 
Serious Further Offence (SFO) Review Process – A mandatory SFO 
Review will be conducted where an offender under probation supervision or 
within 28 days of completing supervision is charged with an offence in the 
following circumstances: 
 The offender is charged with perpetrating or attempting to carry out 
one of the most serious offences, i.e. murder, manslaughter, or 
another offence causing death, rape, or a sexual offence against a 
child under 13; or  
 The offender is charged with another offence listed in Probation 
Instruction 15/2014 (this list is based on those offences in Schedule 
15 to the Criminal Justice Act 2003 that carry a maximum sentence of 
14 years of Life, excluding s.18 Wounding with intent) and his or her 
risk of serious harm has been assessed as high or very high during 
the current sentence, or he or she has not been subject to a risk 
assessment during the current sentence. 
A discretionary SFO Review may be carried out where: 
 The offender is charged with an offence outside the above eligibility 
criteria, but it is decided by HM Prison and Probation Service 

 
26 
 
(HMPPS) that it may be in the public interest to complete a notification 
and subsequent review. This would apply regardless of whether the 
offence was on the SFO qualifying list or not. 
A MAPPA SCR and Probation SFO review may be conducted 
simultaneously. 
Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) – A restrictive order that could 
be made by a Court at the time of sentence for a sexual offence or following 
an application by the Police. The duration of a SOPO was variable, ranging 
from a minimum of 5 years to the remainder of an offender’s life. A SOPO 
required the subject to register with the Police as a sexual offender and 
could include conditions, such as preventing the offender from loitering near 
schools or playgrounds. If the offender failed to comply with the 
requirements of the order, he or she could be taken back to court and could 
be liable to up to 5 years’ imprisonment. From 2015/16 onwards, SOPOs 
have been replaced by Sexual Harm Prevention Orders. 
Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) – A restrictive order that replaced 
the Sexual Offences Prevention Order and Foreign Travel Order following 
the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. A SHPO can be 
applied to anyone convicted or cautioned for a specified sexual or violent 
offence, including offences committed overseas. The court needs to be 
satisfied that the order is necessary for protecting the public (or any 
particular member of the public) from sexual harm, or for protecting children 
from sexual harm outside of the United Kingdom. SHPOs require offenders 
to register with the Police as a sexual offender and prohibit them from doing 
anything described in the SHPO. This can include a prohibition on foreign 
travel. Prohibitions have effect for a fixed period, specified in the Order, of at 
least 5 years, or until further Order. SHPOs may specify different periods for 
different prohibitions. Failure to comply with a requirement imposed under a 
SHPO is an offence punishable by a fine and/or imprisonment. 
Sexual Risk Order (SRO) – A restrictive order that replaced the Risk of 
Sexual Harm Order following the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing 
Act 2014. A SRO can be made where a person has committed an act of a 
sexual nature and as a result there is reasonable cause to believe that it is 
necessary for such an order to be made, even if they have never been 
convicted. The court needs to be satisfied that the order is necessary for 
protecting the public (or any particular members of the public) from sexual 
harm. RSOs prohibit offenders from doing anything described in the Order 
and can include a prohibition on foreign travel. Prohibitions have effect for a 
fixed period of not less than 2 years, or until further Order. RSOs may 
specify different periods for different prohibitions. Failure to comply with a 
requirement imposed under a RSO is an offence punishable by a fine and/or 
imprisonment. 
 
 

 
27 
 
Contact points for further information 
Press enquiries should be directed to the Ministry of Justice press office:  
 
Tel: xx-xxxx-xxxx  
Other enquiries about these statistics should be directed to:  
 
Eric Nyame 
Offender Management and Public Protection Group  
National Offender Management Service 
8th Floor 
102 Petty France 
London 
SW1H 9AJ 
 
General enquiries about the statistical work of the Ministry of Justice can be 
e-mailed to: xxx@xxx.xx 
 
General information about the official statistics system of the UK is available 
from www.statistics.gov.uk 
 
 

 
28 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© Crown copyright 2017 
 
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government 
Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit 
nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to 
the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 
4DU, or email: xxx@xxx.xx.