More than half of high-risk offenders sent to prison are reconvicted within a year of their first offence
TWO-thirds of Jersey’s more serious criminals are reoffending within two years, according to the findings of a major study released this week.
The figures show that two out of three of those given custodial sentences were convicted of an offence again inside 24 months.
The report also showed that over 70 per cent of juveniles sent to the Young Offenders Centre were convicted of another offence within 24 months of being put inside.
Meanwhile, the number of women who reoffended rocketed in comparison to the last time the study was conducted.
However, the study – recognised as one of the largest undertaken of its kind – also showed that reoffending rates were much lower when non-custodial sentences were imposed by the courts.
Chief Probation Officer Brian Heath said: ‘It is more difficult for people to re-establish themselves in the community when they have been to prison, as imprisonment removes people from their jobs and from family life.’
Article posted on 17th November, 2009 - 3.00pm
32 Article Comments
I would suggest that the figure is higher than this, two thirds are caught, there must be some who get away with it.
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It does not take too much analysis to make the obvious conclusion that sending offenders to prison is not the answer.
Jersey has one of the highest ratios of offenders being found guilty being given a custodial sentence in the world. This conviction rate is not something that Jersey should be proud of, and I hope that this study will provoke some to question the value of sending young people to prison.
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are you joking? they want to get locked up again because the standard of living inside is much better than outside!
“Meanwhile, the number of women who reoffended rocketed in comparison to the last time the study was conducted.”
maybe because they have no bills to pay, no chores to do a big TV to watch their soaps on? – makes me so mad!
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Keyser Soze comment 2- It does not take too much analysis to make the obvious conclusion that sending offenders to prison is not the answer.
Yes it is, it’s letting them out again that’s causing a problem, keep the bu**ers in there. What else would you do, take away their comics and send them to bed early?
A hard line approach such as 3 strikes and permanant imprisonment would work.
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lula
I used to wander why so many recently convicted criminals whooped with joy on leaving the Royal Court in handcuffs for the prison – your explanation that it is a really nice place and they enjoy being there is the final piece in the puzzle.
From what you say it seems all that wimmins lib was a bit of a waste of time as well – its just given them more opportunity to indulge their hobby of serious reoffending.
I’m not sure I believe that it makes you mad though…I suspect you were already barking before you wrote your comments.
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Could this possibly be anything to do with the fact that La Moye is a soft touch?
With three hot meals per day, colour tv with Playstations, recreational facilities including a gym and library… it’s a win-win situation for criminals.
I wonder what the reoffending rate was back when we had corporal punishment and the poor inmates still had to ’slop out’ – I bet it was considerably less than 70% back in those days.
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“I would suggest that the figure is higher than this, two thirds are caught, there must be some who get away with it”.
Yes. One third.
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Keyser Söze # 2. The idea of imprisoning offenders is not just about rehabilitation; it is also to separate offenders from law abiding people,to protect the public.
If the villains are locked up, they aren’t able to attack the public, or their property, or steal from them.
I have a Bantam cockerel on my farm that always attacks me no matter how nice I am to him; it’s in his nature to behave that way.
Similarly, you just have to accept that some criminals are recidivists, who have a tendency toward repetition of criminal or antisocial behavior patterns.
I have worked with Brian Heath and I have a lot respect for him, however I do feel on this matter I must disagree with him.
Many of the youngsters have been imprisoned and are included in this study, will have previously been diverted from the courts via Parish Hall enquiries.Many will also probably have had non custodial snetences before the Courts sentenced them to a term in prison.
Imprisonment is often the last resort and to reiterate, locking these criminals up is as much about separating them from law abiding people, to protect the vulnerable.
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Easy solution. Take away all luxuary’s out of the prison and make it a punishment to be there as opposed to a holiday camp. Less than 5% of service personnal re-offend because the military prison regime is harsher. FACT.
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That’s right, it’s great in prison.
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Lulu, have you ever been to prison………it is not a holiday club!!My daughter was incarcerated at just 15 and in turn was given herion (as she was in a woman’s prison and became an addict, this addiction nearly took her life! She has now turned her life around thorugh the support of her family and hard work. Keyser, I totally agree with your comments and find it tragic that an Islandlike Jersey prefers to lock people up too quickly rather than look at the alternatives, which in the long term can be more productive. We should off course have a half way house! This has been asked for, for a number of years and we keep being told there is not enough funds…………In order to rehabilitate reoffenders they need support and somewhere to go otherwisw they become locked in a circle of reoffending
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lula’s opinion surely must be incorrect for most people. i can only think a desperate homeless person may have an ‘improved standard of living’ by being incarcerated. as for everyone else, i certainly disagree.
what this statement fails to point out is the proportion of drug offenders that make up the prison population. If you don’t treat them effectively (as we don’t) and give them skills for the ‘outside’ (as we don’t), most people will re-offend. Look what UK prisons and probation ombudsman Stephen Shaw says in JEP’s report of 21st September, 2007.
“He says that ‘woeful’ conditions at La Moye are to blame for the extraordinary rates of reoffending in the Island – and that such a system falls far short of standards in England and Wales.” Also, the comments of Prison Governor Steve Guy-Gibbens admitted that unacceptable prison conditions could have led to the death of an inmate last year.” (18th September, 2007)
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We’re only just getting rid of slopping out. hardly luxury is it?
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Statistics can be read many ways, The magistrate will always look at the character of the convicted before passing sentence. Maybe this just goes to prove their judge of character is good.
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Why do the States just not bring in a law that all non local offenders should be deported at the conclusion of their sentence. Never mind what Europe or the UK think about it. Lets get this island cleaned up.
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CJ has suggested (no. 15) that “all non local offenders should be deported at the conclusion of their sentence”.
And just what should we do with the native offenders, CJ?
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I tend to agree with Lula and Tobias.
Prison is way too easy now and as such does not act sufficiently as a deterrant, especially for those that have little in life anyway.
A prison sentence is supposed to be a punishment after all so should go back to real basic food, a spring bed with scratchy blankets and lots of hard labour – perhaps the treadwheel which was in Newgate Street prison should be brought back?
Then see anyone be in a hurry to reoffend.
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Non local offenders should be deported – that will account for about 15%. Far better to deport (banish) the local re-offenders. That way Jersey is improved for the true owners of Jersey – us immigrants.
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@ Diane.. a treadwheel, interesting! Perhaps it could be hooked up to a generator and prisoners could work shifts to power the prison, making it self sufficient? Plus it would be good exercise for the prisoners. If they worked 12 hour shifts we could halve the number of beds needed up there as they could share, as on would work days, the other nights.
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No wonder they want to go back to prison with all the luxuries . £52000 pa to house one prisoner. Some working people in this island have to feed a family of 4 on a third of this amount. As for deporting non local offenders I should think a high proportion are non local just look at all the drugs importers for instance. and why do they earn housing quallies whilst locked up?
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#2 Is is just possible that sentences are too short and that prison is not harsh enough? There are cases in Britain of people intentionally getting put back in prison because it’s easier for them than life on the outside.
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J-Cat 19 @ Diane
Oiy! You forgot to mention the ’scratchy blankets’…
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Hardly surprising prison sentences need to be much shorter and done in solitary. Also proper skills training for all the unemployed with a £10 per hour minimum wage.
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I believe human rights are being taken to the extreme. Prison isn’t so much a punishment as a refuge, a holiday camp. The lunatics have taken over the asylum once again and criminals have little fear of being imprisoned.
They have a guarantee of three square meals a day, a bed, shelter, T.V., electronic gizmos, you name it they have it…..it’s their right.
To strike a balance, I must illustrate I have visited H.M.P. La Moye and even though I knew I was only there for an hour, I definately didn’t enjoy being confined. Just the thought of being inside is enough to deter me.
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Sentences and punishments are not harsh enough anywhere…..crime these days DOES PAY!
I had to chuckle when i read about the french security van driver who disappeared with EUR 10 million….cash….in unmarked notes. All this whilst his 2 colleagues were collecting more from a local bank in Lyon.
The article said IF he got caught he’d only get a maximum of 3 years (more like 1 for good behaviour) because there were no weapons involved and it wasn’t an armed robbery…classic.
So, a one year stay in a government run hotel and upon your release you have EUR 10 million to spend how you wish……how about that for an incentive?
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#25 BS Deluxe: ‘…upon your release you have EUR 10 million to spend how you wish’
Clearly this money would be returned to its owner.
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Michael
…if they could find it
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#28 BS Deluxe
Agreed. However, it is very difficult to launder this amount of cash and I can’t imagine the van driver was up to it.
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‘Agreed. However, it is very difficult to launder this amount of cash and I can’t imagine the van driver was up to it.’
Thinking back to the Brinks Matt robbery and the involvement of Brown Shipley in Jersey in laundering the cash it was pretty easy a few decades ago.
But today we have to know our customers!
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#29 Pip Clement
There are lots of examples.
A former client of mine was discovered, thirty years ago, trying to enter Jersey by private plane with more than £25k in used twenties in his suitcase. I think life was definitely more interesting back then…
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I’m sure there are plenty of “creative” accountants and smalle trust companies who may not know their customers as well as they should
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#31 Bs Deluxe
Agreed though I think Jersey is better than most.
The problem is that client due diligence is largely a waste of time. It is not hard to get round if you know what your doing and so it inconveniences honest users of financial services and increases costs for providers of financial services.
At best, it can provide the start of a paper trail that will usually go cold fairly quickly.
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