The number of multiple offenders dealt with by the courts last year rose to a record high, official figures revealed today.
The Ministry of Justice statistics show that 102,310 people convicted in 2011 — nearly a third of the overall total of offenders — had committed 15 or more crimes. About 70,000 more had committed between seven and 14 crimes.
The figures, which call into question claims by Justice Secretary Ken Clarke that the media are to blame for rising prison numbers, also show that average jail sentences have risen. One of the biggest increases is for sex offenders who now receive an average of 53.2 months, compared with 37.8 months in 2001.
Other figures show that of the total number of 327,900 offenders sentenced for indictable offences last year, 68.5 per cent had already been in jail — and that 63.8 per cent of those given community sentences had already received an earlier community punishment.
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