Remands in custody
Within the 12 months ending March 2024, there was a one share level improve within the proportion of defendants remanded in custody throughout every stage of court docket proceedings. That is problematic as a result of the remand inhabitants was already on the highest stage ever recorded.
Within the 12 months ending March 2024, 1.28 million defendants have been directed to look at magistrates’ courts by the police or different prosecuting authorities. The proportion of defendants held in custody previous to showing at magistrates’ court docket elevated barely from 8% within the 12 months ending March 2023 to 9% within the newest 12 months.
At magistrates’ court docket, the proportion of defendants granted bail within the 12 months ending March 2024 remained constant at 13%. The proportion remanded in custody elevated from 4% to five% within the newest 12 months, with the remaining 82% representing instances the place a remand choice was not relevant or unknown.
At Crown Courtroom the proportion of defendants remanded in custody elevated to 52%, up from 51% within the earlier 12 months.
Remand continues to be over-used. Throughout all prison courts, 26% of defendants that have been sentenced after being remanded in custody acquired a non-custodial sentence. Of the defendants remanded in custody at magistrates’ courts within the 12 months ending March 2024, 10% have been sentenced to instant custody and an extra 72% have been dedicated for trial or sentencing at Crown Courtroom. Of these remanded in custody at Crown Courtroom, 71% have been sentenced to instant custody.
Sentencing
The typical custodial sentence size (ACSL) for indictable offences remained unchanged at 22.9 months. Nonetheless, this total charge masked important will increase in ACSL for fraud offences (up 2.8 months) and sexual offences (up 2.3 months).
There have been 1.13 million offenders sentenced within the 12 months ending March 2024, a 6% improve from the earlier 12 months, however this stays barely beneath (3%) pre-COVID ranges. Most (80%) offenders have been sentenced to a nice, with abstract motoring offences accounting for 73% of all fines issued.
The variety of offenders sentenced to instant custody elevated on the earlier 12 months, up by 11% to 72,700, nonetheless this too stays 3% beneath pre-COVID ranges.
Of these sentenced to instant custody, 43% acquired a sentence of 12 months or extra. Within the 12 months to March 2020 this proportion was 40% however accounted for just one,300 fewer offenders.
The custody charge for indictable offences elevated barely to 33.1% within the newest 12 months, up greater than six share factors from ranges seen a decade in the past (26.8%), this represents the best custody charge seen throughout the time sequence.
Nonetheless, the quantity of custodial sentences issued for indictable offences stays barely beneath pre-COVID ranges, 64,500 within the newest 12 months in comparison with 65,400 in 12 months ending March 2020.
There have already been very lengthy deterred sentences handed on these concerned within the current riots however whether or not there will likely be adequate numbers to have any impression on the ACSL is at the moment inconceivable to know.
Conclusion
It’s simple to see from these figures that the federal government is unlikely to climate the jail overcrowding disaster (and the issues besetting each probation and courts) with out implementing a spread of demand administration measures.
