Postcode Roulette

 Regional differences in Sentencing Practices (1997)

Sentencing patterns vary considerably across the country, with the incidence of cautions varying more than 3-fold between different force areas.

It is interesting to note that many of the areas with the highest rates of discharges also have among the lowest cautioning rates, suggesting that where more minor cases reach the courts, magistrates are inclined to discharge rather than impose a formal penalty where the offence might otherwise have merited a caution. Overall, the average cautioning rate has fallen to 54% from 58% in 1993, when all of the top ten authorities had cautioning rates of 64% or over.

The rate of imprisonment has also increased, with a record number of drugs offenders in jail at any one time. The average length of prison sentence in 1997 for drugs offences was 22.9 months.

The police authorities where cautions were most likely for all drugs offences in 1997 were:

1 Cleveland 72%

2. Northumbria 70%

3. Metropolitan Police 67%

4. West Mercia 62%

5. Gloucestershire 61%

6= Sussex 60%

6= Warwickshire 60%

7= Gwent 59%

7= West Midlands 59%

9= North Wales 57%

9= Surrey 57%

Overall Average 50%

 

The authorities where cautions were least likely were:

1 Scotland (fiscal fines) 10%

2 Dorset 22%

3= Thames Valley 30%

3= Northern Ireland (RUC) 30%

5. West Yorkshire 31%

6. Durham 35%

7= North Yorks 36%

7= South Yorks 36%

9 South Wales 38%

10 Humberside 39%

Overall Average 50%

The police areas with the highest rates of absolute/conditional discharges were:

1= North Yorkshire 12%

1= South Yorkshire 12%

3= Bedfordshire 11%

3= Dorset 11%

3= Humberside 11%

3= Lancashire 11%

3= Thames Valley 11%

8= Hampshire 10%

8= Norfolk 10%

8= West Yorkshire 10%

8= South Wales 10%

Overall Average 6%

The police areas where prison sentences were most common (excluding Customs & Excise with 54% imprisoned overall) were:

1 Northern Ireland (RUC) 20%

2 Dumfries & Galloway 19%

3 Durham 18%

4 Dorset 16%

5= Greater Manchester 15%

5= Humberside 15%

5= Northamptonshire 15%

8= South Yorkshire 14%

8= West Yorkshire 14%

8= Fife 14%

8= Strathclyde 14%

Overall UK Average 9%