12.02.12
Welsh criminals more likely to re-offend
Re-offending rates in Wales are higher than in England, statistics from the Ministry of Justice show, with nearly half of Welsh council areas in the top 20% of areas with the highest re-offending rates in the UK.
Swansea has the highest rate of re-offending for adults at 31%.
Figures also showed that, inWales, thieves and burglars were the most likely to re-offend, committing on average a further 2.8 offences, on top of an average of 19.1 previous offences.
Young people are more likely to re-offend, with more than 30% committing additional crimes in all but four local authorities. Merthyr Tydfil has the highest rate of youth re-offending inWalesat 45.7%.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “The level of re-offending is too high, which is why we are working to make punishments more rigorous and rehabilitation more effective. Prisons should be places of industry and community sentences must be credible and robust.
“We have introduced payment by results, where providers will be paid for by their success at rehabilitating offenders and reducing re-offending. Criminals must be reformed so that when they finish their sentences they do not simply return to crime, creating more misery for victims.”
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