Criminals’ reoffending rate drops

ONE in 11 Oldham criminals went on to reoffend within three months, latest figures reveal.

Ministry of Justice statistics show 3,511 offenders were monitored between July 2010, and June this year — and just over nine per cent of them went on to commit further crime.

But there was a little good news: the MoJ figures anticipated the reoffending rate in Oldham would be higher, at 9.71 per cent, than was actually recorded.

Reoffending rates have fallen by 6.69 per cent across Oldham since the measure was introduced in 2007-08, but across Greater Manchester they increased by 2.06 per cent. Across the region, 43,837 people were monitored and 9.8 per cent reoffended.

An MoJ spokesman added: “We are introducing tougher sentences that properly punish offenders while addressing the root causes of their behaviour. We are also exploring the use of payment by results in both prison and the community, only paying for what works.”