Proven reoffending statistics bulletin, April 2014 to March 2015
Source: data.gov.uk (2018-05-25)

Proven Re-offending statistics. Key statistics on proven reoffending in England and Wales. It gives proven reoffending figures for offenders who were released from custody, received a non-custodial conviction at court, or received a caution or reprimand.

Published 26 January 2017 
Proven Reoffending Statistics Quarterly Bulletin, 
April 2014 to March 2015  
Main points 
This bulletin provides key statistics on Proven Reoffending for adult and juvenile offenders 
who were released from custody, received a non-custodial conviction at court, or received a 
caution in the period April 2014 to March 2015. This bulletin and associated tables and 
data tools present the proportion of offenders who reoffend (proven reoffending rate) and 
the number of proven reoffences by offender history, demographics, individual prisons, 
probation area, local authorities and youth offending teams. 
The overall proven 
reoffending rate was 
25.3%
 
There is a 0.9 percentage point decrease in the overall 
proven reoffending rate compared to the previous 12 
months and a 2.0 percentage point decrease since 2004. 
However, the rate has remained fairly flat, fluctuating 
between 25% and 27% since 2004. 
Adult offenders had a 
proven reoffending rate of
24.3%
 
The adult proven reoffending rate is down 0.9 percentage 
points compared to the previous 12 months and 1.2 
percentage points since 2004. The adult reoffending rate 
has remained fairly flat since 2004, fluctuating around 
25%. 
Juvenile offenders had a 
proven reoffending rate of 
37.9%
 
The juvenile reoffending rate has increased by 4.3 
percentage points since 2004. However, the size of the 
cohort has fallen by around 76% over the same period. 
The rate has remained broadly the same as 12 months 
earlier.  
Adults released from 
custody had a proven 
reoffending rate of 44.7%
 
The proven reoffending rate for adult offenders released 
from custody was 44.7%, a decrease of 1.1 percentage 
points compared to the previous 12 months and 3.9 
percentage points since 2004. 
Latest figures are provided with comparisons to April 2013 to March 2014, and 2004 in 
order to highlight long-term trends. For full and detailed commentary please refer to the 
annual publication, and for technical details and how proven reoffending is measured to the 
accompanying guide to proven reoffending statistics.  
 
We are changing how our quarterly bulletins look, and would welcome any 
feedback to xxx@xxx.xx 
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How is proven reoffending measured? 
 
A proven reoffence is defined as any offence committed in a one year follow-up period that 
leads to a court conviction, caution, reprimand or warning in the one year follow-up or within 
a further six month waiting period to allow the offence to be proven in court as shown in the 
diagram below.  
 
 
An offender enters the cohort if they are released from custody, received a non-custodial conviction 
at court or received a reprimand or warning in the period April 2014 to March 2015.  
 
For further detail on how proven reoffending is measured, please see the guide to proven 
reoffending statistics.  
01-Apr-14
30-Sep-14
31-Mar-15
30-Sep-15
31-Mar-16
30-Sep-16
Offender A 
enters cohort
One year period in which 
reoffences are measured 
Offender B
enters cohort
We report on the offences that lead to 
a court conviction, caution, reprimand 
or warning within the year 
OR within a further 
six months to allow 
the offence to be
proven in court
Offender C
enters cohort

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1. Overall – adult and juvenile offenders  
25.3% of offenders in the April 2014 to March 2015 cohort reoffended within a year 
 
In April 2014 to March 2015 around 477,000 adult and juvenile offenders were 
cautioned1, received a non-custodial conviction at court or released from custody. 
Around 121,000 of these offenders committed a proven re-offence within a year. This 
gives an overall proven reoffending rate of 25.3%. This rate has remained fairly stable 
since 2004, fluctuating between 25% and 27%. 
Figure 1: Proportion of adult and juvenile offenders in England and Wales who 
commit a proven re-offence, 2004 to March 2015 (Source: Table A1) 
 
The latest overall proven reoffending rate represents a small decrease of 0.9 percentage 
points compared to the previous 12 months and a fall of 2.0 percentage points since 2004.   
Around 390,000 proven reoffences were committed over the one year follow-up period, with 
those that reoffended committing, on average, 3.23 reoffences each. 
In the April 2014 to March 2015 cohort, 82% were male and 18% were female, a split that 
has changed little since 2004. Male offenders reoffended at a higher rate of 26.8% 
compared to female offenders who reoffended at a rate of 18.7%. Both rates have remained 
broadly stable since 2004. 
Less than 1% of all proven reoffences committed over the one year follow-up period were 
indictable only2. This is compared to 1.16% in 2004 – its highest level over the 10 years.  
                                               
1 Includes reprimands and warmings for juveniles.  
2 Indictable-only offences cover the most serious offences that must be tried at the Crown court; these 
‘indictable-only’ offences include murder, manslaughter, rape and robbery.  
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Proportion of offenders who reoffend (%)
Number of offenders in cohort ('000s)
Cohort
Adult offenders
Juvenile offenders
Adult proportion (%)
Juvenile proportion (%)
For 2006 to 2015, data are for the 12 months ending March

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2. Adult offenders 
24.3% of adult offenders in the April 2014 to March 2015 cohort reoffended within a 
year  
 
Adult offenders accounted for 92% (around 440,000) of the April 2014 to March 2015 
cohort and juvenile offenders account for 8% (around 36,000)3. Around 107,000 of all 
adult offenders were proven to have committed a reoffence within a year, giving a 
proven reoffending rate of 24.3%, 
Figure 2: Proportion of adult offenders in England and Wales who commit a proven 
reoffence, by number of previous offences, April 2014 to March 2015 (Source: A5a)  
 
The latest adult reoffending rate represents a small decrease of 0.9 percentage points 
compared to the previous 12 months and a fall of 1.2 percentage points since 2004. This 
rate has been fairly flat since 2004 fluctuating between 24.3% and 25.4%. 
Around 345,000 proven reoffences were committed by adults over the one year follow-up 
period. Those that reoffended committed on average 3.22 reoffences each.  
Generally, offenders with a large number of previous offences have a higher rate of proven 
reoffending than those with fewer previous offences. In the cohort, the proven reoffending 
rates for adults ranged from 7.5% for offenders with no previous offences to 44.7% for 
offenders with 11 or more previous offences. Adult offenders with 11 or more previous 
offences represented just under a third of all adult offenders in the cohort, but committed 
over two thirds of all adult proven reoffences.  
                                               
3 A certain proportion of offenders who could not be matched to the Police National Computer (PNC) are 
excluded from the offender cohort. Therefore, this number does not represent all proven offenders. This means 
that the number of offenders in this bulletin will be different from the numbers published in Offender 
Management Statistics Quarterly and Criminal Justice Statistics. Please refer to the Guide for proven reoffending 
statistics for further information.  
0
10
20
30
40
50
No previous
offences
1 to 2 previous
offences
3 to 6 previous
offences
7 to 10 previous
offences
11 or more
previous offences
Proportion of offenders who reoffend (%)
Previous offence band

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3. Juvenile offenders4 
Figure 3: Proportion of adult and juvenile offenders in England and Wales who 
commit a proven reoffence, by age, 2004 and April 2014-March 2015 (Source: Table 
A3) 
 
Around 45,000 proven reoffences were committed by juveniles over the one year follow-up 
period. Those that reoffended committed on average 3.30 reoffences each. Juvenile 
offenders with 11 or more previous offences have a higher reoffending rate than those with 
no previous offences –74.5% compared to 24.6%. 
The highest reoffending rate by age group is 39.0%, for offenders aged 10 to 14. However, 
the number of offenders in this age group has fallen by around 84% since 2004. The 
reoffending rate for this age group overtook offenders aged 15 to 17 in 2013/14, who 
previously had a consistently higher reoffending rate but are now second highest. Figure 3 
shows that the proven reoffending rate generally falls with increasing age. 
                                               
4Juveniles are defined as those aged 10 to 17 years old. 
5 https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-june-2016 
0
10
20
30
40
50
10 to 14 15 to 17 18 to 20 21 to 24 25 to 29 30 to 34 35 to 39 40 to 44 45 to 49
50+
Proportion of offenders who reoffend (%)
Age
2004
April 2014 to March 2015
2004
April 2014 to March 2015
37.9% of juvenile offenders in the April 2014 to March 2015 cohort reoffended within 
one year  
 
Around 36,000 juvenile offenders were cautioned, convicted or released from custody in 
the April 2014 to March 2015 cohort and around 14,000 of them committed a reoffence. 
This gives a proven reoffending rate of 37.9%, which is broadly the same as the 
previous 12 months and an increase of 4.3 percentage points since 2004. However, the 
cohort has fallen by around 76% since 2004, a trend also seen in Criminal Justice 
Statistics5. 

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4. Index disposal - adults 
Figure 4: Proportion of adult offenders released from custody who commit a proven 
reoffence, by custodial sentence length, 2004 to March 2015 (Source: Table C2a) 
The proven reoffending rate for adult offenders starting a court order (Community sentence 
or Suspended Sentence Order) was 32.0%, a fall of 5.4 percentage points since 2004, and 
a fall of 1.9 percentage points compared to the previous 12 months. 
 
The proven reoffending rate for adult offenders released from custody between April 2014 
and March 2015 was 44.7%. This represents a fall of 1.1 percentage points compared to 
the previous 12 months and a fall of 3.9 percentage points since 2004. Since 2004, the 
overall rate for those released from custody has remained relatively stable at around 45% 
to 49%. The rate for those released from short sentences has been consistently higher 
compared to those released from longer sentences. Adults who served sentences of less 
than 12 months reoffended at a rate of 59.7%, compared to 32.2% for those who served 
determinate sentences of 12 months or more. The trends for those released from short and 
long sentences have both remained broadly flat since 2005 and are consistent with the 
overall trend. 
 
Proven reoffending rates by index disposal should not be compared to assess the 
effectiveness of sentences, as there is no control for known differences in offender 
characteristics and the type of sentence given. For further information see the annual 
October publication and the guide to proven reoffending statistics.  
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
Proportion of offenders who reoffend (%)
Cohort
Less than 12 months
12 months to less then 4 years
4 years to 10 years
More than 10 years
For 2006 to 2015, data are for the 12 months ending March
Adults released from custody had a proven reoffending rate of 44.7% 
The index disposal of the offender is the type of sentence the offender received for their 
index offence. For the Proven Reoffending Statistics Quarterly Bulletin, this is defined as 
custody, court order, or other disposal resulting from a conviction at court, such as a fine 
or discharge, or caution. 

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5. Index disposal – juveniles  
 
 Juvenile offenders given a reprimand, warning or youth caution  
 
The reoffending rate for juvenile offenders given a youth caution was 30.7%, which is 
broadly the same as the previous year and an increase of 4.8 percentage points since 
2004. Reprimands and warnings for youths were abolished under Legal Aid Sentencing and 
Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 with effect from 8 April 2013 and replaced with youth 
cautions.  
 
Youth cautions are a formal out-of-court disposal that can be used as an alternative to 
prosecution for juvenile offenders in certain circumstances. A Youth Caution may be given 
for any offence where the young offender admits an offence, there is sufficient evidence for 
a realistic prospect of conviction but it is not in the public interest to prosecute. 
 
Figure 5: Proportion of juvenile offenders released from custody or given a 
reprimand, warning or caution who commit a proven reoffence, 2004 to March 2015 
(Source: Table C1b) 
 
 
Juvenile offenders released from custody  
 
Between April 2014 and March 2015 around 1,000 juvenile offenders were released from 
custody and around 700 of these (68.7%) were proven to have committed a reoffence within 
a year. This represents a fall of 6.8 percentage points since 2004, but an increase of 1.5 
percentage points compared to the previous 12 months.  
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
Proportion of offenders who reoffend (%)
Reprimand, Warning or Caution
Custody
For 2006 to 2015, data are for the 12 months ending March
Proven reoffending rates by index disposal (sentence type) 
should not be compared to assess the effectiveness of 
sentences, as there is no control for known differences in 
offender characteristics and the type of sentence given. 

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6. Index Offences  
In the April 2014 to March 2015 cohort, adult offenders with an index offence of ‘Theft’ 
had the highest reoffending rate at 42.2% 
 
The offence that leads to an offender being included in the offender cohort is called the 
index offence. In the April 2014 to March 2015 cohort, adult offenders with an index 
offence of ‘Theft’ had the highest proven reoffending rate of 42.2%. The second highest 
reoffending rate for adult offenders was for those with an index offence of ‘Robbery’ with 
a rate of 32.7%. 
 
Figure 6: Proportion of adult and juvenile offenders in England and Wales who 
commit a proven reoffence, by index offence, April 2014 to March 2015 (Source: Table 
A4a/b) 
 
 
Those with the lowest rate had an index offence of ‘Fraud’ and reoffended at a rate of 9.6%. 
Additionally, with a fall of 9.3 percentage points, the ‘Fraud’ index offence category saw the 
largest decrease between 2004 and March 2015. In contrast, the largest increase of 6.0 
percentage points over the same period occurred for those with an index offence of ‘Public 
Order’ with a reoffending rate of 29.0%. 
 
In the juvenile cohort those with an index offence of ‘Robbery’ had the highest proven 
reoffending rate at 44.2%, closely followed by those with an index offence of ‘Theft’ at 
43.2%. Those with the lowest rate had a ‘Sexual’ index offence and reoffended at a rate of 
14.4%. The ‘Summary motoring’ index offence category, had the largest decrease between 
2004 and April 2014 to March 2015 with a fall of 8.9 percentage points to a reoffending rate 
of 32.2%. The largest increase of 11.6 percentage points over the same period occurred for 
those with an index offence of ‘Theft’. 
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Theft
Robbery
Public Order
Miscellaneous Crimes
Against Society
Possession of Weapons
Criminal Damage and
Arson
Drug
Summary Non-motoring
Violence Against the
Person
Sexual
Summary Motoring
Fraud
Proportion of offenders who reoffend (%)
Index offence
Adult
Juvenile

Further information 
 
Accompanying files 
As well as this bulletin, the following products are published as part of this release: 
 
A technical guide to proven reoffending statistics providing information on how 
proven reoffending is measured, and the data sources used. 
 
A set of overview tables, covering each section of this bulletin. 
 
A number of data tools which provide proven reoffending data by demographics, 
offender history, individual prison and probation area and geography. 
 
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National Statistics status means that official statistics meet the highest standards of 
trustworthiness, quality and public value. 
All official statistics should comply with all aspects of the Code of Practice for Official 
Statistics. They are awarded National Statistics status following an assessment by the 
Authority’s regulatory arm. The Authority considers whether the statistics meet the highest 
standards of Code compliance, including the value they add to public decisions and debate. 
It is the Ministry of Justice’s responsibility to maintain compliance with the standards 
expected for National Statistics. If we become concerned about whether these statistics are 
still meeting the appropriate standards, we will discuss any concerns with the Authority 
promptly. National Statistics status can be removed at any point when the highest standards 
are not maintained, and reinstated when standards are restored. 
Contact 
Press enquiries should be directed to the Ministry of Justice press office: 
Tel: xx-xxxx-xxxx 
Email: xxx@xxx.xx  
Other enquiries about these statistics should be directed to the Justice Statistics 
Analytical Services division of the Ministry of Justice: 
Nick Mavron, Head of Prison, Probation, Reoffending and PbR Statistics 
Ministry of Justice, 7th Floor, 102 Petty France, London, SW1H 9AJ 
Email: xxx@xxx.xx 
 
Next update: April 2017 
URL:  https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/proven-reoffending-statistics 
 
 
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