More than 8,000 criminals have been given multiple community sentences before being jailed, a Freedom of Information act request has shown.
The Telegraph report:
More than 400 of those eventually sentenced to time behind bars had already been handed at least 21 community sentences and almost 1,800 had served 16 or more, figures released under the Freedom of Information Act showed.
Repeatedly letting thousand of criminals off with community sentences was failing to protect the public or reduce reoffending, campaigners said.
Tory MP Nick de Bois, a member of the Commons justice select committee, said: “Community sentences have their place in the justice system…