Lancashire's short-term jail inmates reoffend within a year (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Lancashire's short-term jail inmates reoffend within a year

4:30pm Wednesday 15th August 2012 in News By Bill Jacobs, Local government reporter

NEW figures show more than half of inmates on short-term sentences in the three main Lancashire jails reoffend within a year.

More than 66 per cent imprisoned in Preston for less than 12 months in 2009/10 were arrested before the first anniversary of their release. For Strange-ways, Manchester the figure is 60.1 per cent and Forest Bank, Salford 59.1 per cent.

Over four years the early reoffending rate at all three remained stubbornly around or above 60 per cent.

East Lancashire MPs Andrew Stephenson and Graham Jones, Blackburn-with-Darwen council Tory group leader Michael Lee, Liberal Democrat peer Tony Greaves and Lan-cashire Victim Support divisional manager Mark Barrow are shocked at the “alarming” figure.

The reoffending rates at the three “local prisons” for those jailed for more than a year are 50.3 per cent at Preston, 39.9 per cent at Manchester and 42.7 per cent at Forest Bank.

Mr Barrow said this was “unacceptable” adding: “We support many victims of crime, some from East Lancashire, every week and one of their concerns is that the offender doesn’t do it again.”

Coun Lee said: “These reoffending rates are alarming. These are the main prisons for East Lancashire and if two thirds of offenders are doing it again within a year then prison is not the deterrent it should be.”

Pendle Tory MP Mr Stephenson said: “This is just not good enough. More needs to be done to rehabilitate prisoners and get them off drugs.”

Hyndburn Labour backbencher Mr Jones said: “These reoffending rates are disturbing but too many inmates have received slaps on the wrist before they get there. Reoffending rates for community service orders and fines are even worse.”

Pendle’s Lord Greaves said: “I am not surprised but I am very concerned.”

Kirkham open prison’s reoffending rate for short-term prisoners dropped from 37.9 per cent to 23.8 per cent between 2007 and 2010, Wymott prison had a 43.3 per cent figure.

For longer sentence prisoners the figures for 2010 were Kirkham 11.6 per cent, Garth jail 30.6 per cent, and Wymott 26.5 per cent.

The North-West’s main women’s prison at Styal had a reoffending rate for short-term inmates of 53.8 per cent and longer term ones of 29.6 per cent.