Going straighter...

WORKING. . . . Community Payback

One in 12 criminals went on to reoffend across Oldham — fewer than other parts of Greater Manchester, according to a snapshot of figures.

Statistics from the Ministry of Justice show 3,436 offenders were monitored over 12 months and 8.76 per cent went on to commit a further crime. The snapshot of offenders cover a wide range of crimes from low-level to high risk and are used to monitor re-offending rates

The figures cover the 12 month period from October, 2009 to September, 2010.

The actual re-offending rate of 8.76 per cent was lower than the predicted re-offending rate for Oldham of 9.62 per cent.

Sample sizes vary across each area but are all based on a selection of different offenders.

Across the North-West based on 103,910 released prisoners, 9.97 per cent committed further crimes. Wirral had the highest re-offending percentage rate at 11.61, followed by Cumbria.Bury had the lowest rate at 7.96.

In Greater Manchester as a whole, 9.44 per cent of those being monitored re-offended.

The snapshot measure was introduced in 2007/8 as a tool to provide local probation Trusts with quarterly data on trends in reoffending.

The MoJ figures indicate re-offending rates have fallen by 8.91 per cent across Oldham since its introduction.

Greater Manchester Probation service said: “We work closely with our partners in local councils and with the police to tackle re-offending and it is encouraging to see that our actions are having an effect.

“In Oldham, for example, we are committed to forging links within the community via a number of initiatives.

“We have a community integration officer who ensures the offenders we supervise are linked in to appropriate agencies in the community such as employment, drug and mental health services, who are able to tackle the issues that often lead to re-offending.

Oldham’s Community Payback team provides several ways for offenders to become productive members of the community by, for example, providing luncheon clubs for the elderly where offenders serve food and socialise with their customers, or provide task groups to clear litter and overgrowth from certain neighbourhoods to improve the environment and community safety.

“We hope these positive results will seek to reassure the communities of Greater Manchester that protecting the public from further offending is at the top of our agenda.

“Of course, while these results are good news, we will not be complacent and will continue to review and improve strategies to tackle re-offending.”

Greater Manchester Probation Trust was commended in the MoJ report for achieving four consecutive quarters of consistently lower than predicted re-offending rates.

An MoJ spokesman said: “It is encouraging to see reoffending has decreased by 1.5 per cent since 2007/08 across England and Wales.

“However the Government is not complacent and through a revolution in rehabilitation we will help offenders get off drugs, move into work, and manage mental illness.

“This will see fewer victims and less offenders slipping back into lives of crime”.