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Reoffenders: Greater London

Answer

The government continues to monitor sentencing for bladed and offensive weapon offences. On 9 March the latest knife possession sentencing quarterly statistics bulletin was published and is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/knife-possession-sentencing-quarterly-brief-october-to-december-2016.

After the introduction of our two strikes legislation, people caught carrying a knife a second time are now more likely than ever before to go to prison.

Since commencement of Section 28 of the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015, London police forces secured:

(a) 364 sentencing occasions resulting in a custodial sentence where the offender had more than one previous knife possession offence. Of these, 298 resulted in immediate custody and 66 in a suspended sentence.

(b) 535 sentencing occasions resulting in a custodial sentence where the offender was previously convicted or cautioned for a violence against the person offence (other than knife possession). Of these, 375 resulted in immediate custody and 160 in a suspended sentence. The figures reflect whether the offender had a previous conviction or caution for a violence against the person offence (other than knife possession), before they committed their subsequent knife possession offence. The conviction or caution for the violence against the person offence may have occurred at the same time as, or on a separate occasion to, the previous knife possession offence.

The figures provided include both adult and juvenile offenders.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

67298

Session

2016-17

Transferred

Yes

Subjects

Crime Crimes of violence Greater London Knives Reoffenders

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.parliament.uk