Magistrates in Hampshire are more than twice as likely to send criminals to prison as courts in other parts of the country, new figures reveal.
New research by the Howard League for Penal Reform charity showed courts in Hampshire imposed custodial sentences in 3.9 per cent of the cases they heard in 2011.
This was more often than areas such as Warwickshire (1.5 per cent) and Northumbria (1.6 per cent). The national average was 3.8 per cent.
Magistrates’ courts in Hampshire handed down 35,025 sentences to men, women and children in 2011 – of which 1,375 were custodial.
The charity said a growing number of magistrates’ benches were using community sentences which reduce crime and help people to turn their lives around, but some benches were still imposing prison sentences in cases where they were unnecessary.
Frances Crook, Chief Executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “It is pleasing to see that magistrates’ courts are sending fewer people to prison overall than they have in the past. However, one cannot ignore the striking disparity in sentencing trends between different criminal justice areas.
“A short-term prison sentence is a catastrophe for everyone. It does not help change the life of the person sentenced – indeed, it is likely to compound issues such as drug addiction and make them more likely to re-offend. It costs the taxpayer a fortune and it does nothing to help victims, who get no recompense or easing of trauma.
“A court which imposes short prison sentences increases the likelihood of local people becoming victims of crime, because the failure rate is so high.
“Community sentences are much cheaper than custody and they deliver better results. They not only address a person’s offending, but allow them to access other services they need, such as help with drink, drugs or mental health problems.”
The maximum sentence that a magistrates’ court can impose is a six-month prison term, or up to 12 months in total for more than one offence.