Civometry

Ministry of Justice · offenders

Immediate custodial sentences under each government

The full published series with each government’s time in office shaded. The table gives the level each government inherited and the last complete period before it left. Changes describe the period, not a cause. Definitions and caveats are on the metric page.

Immediate custodial sentences: Year ending March 2016 to Year ending March 2026ConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeLabourLabour025k50k75k201620182020202220242026Before: Figures as originally processed. After: Figures reprocessed ahead of the 2023 Q2 edition.methodology changeYear ending March 2016: 90,500 offenders · published 30 July 2026Year ending March 2017: 90,181 offenders · published 30 July 2026Year ending March 2018: 89,220 offenders · published 30 July 2026Year ending March 2019: 81,768 offenders · published 30 July 2026Year ending March 2020: 75,124 offenders · published 30 July 2026Year ending March 2021: 58,855 offenders · published 30 July 2026Year ending March 2022: 65,104 offenders · published 30 July 2026Year ending March 2023: 66,163 offenders · published 30 July 2026Year ending March 2024: 73,970 offenders · published 30 July 2026Year ending March 2025: 82,749 offenders · published 30 July 2026Year ending March 2026: 89,164 offenders · published 30 July 2026
Published valueProvisional or revisedLatestDashed line: change in coverage or methodShaded bands: governments (see labels)Hover or use arrow keys to read a value
GovernmentInheritedLeft at / latestChange during government
Labour 2024–5 July 2024 – present73,970Year ending March 202489,164Year ending March 2026↑ 20.5%+15,194
Conservative 2019–202413 December 2019 – 5 July 202481,768Year ending March 201973,970Year ending March 2024↓ 9.5%−7,798
Conservative 2017–20199 June 2017 – 13 December 201990,181Year ending March 201781,768Year ending March 2019↓ 9.3%−8,413
Conservative 2015–20178 May 2015 – 9 June 2017No complete period was published before this government took office.
Coalition 2010–201511 May 2010 – 8 May 2015No complete period was published before this government took office.
Labour 2005–20106 May 2005 – 11 May 2010No complete period was published before this government took office.
Labour 2001–20058 June 2001 – 5 May 2005No complete period was published before this government took office.
Labour 1997–20012 May 1997 – 7 June 2001No complete period was published before this government took office.
Conservative 1992–199710 April 1992 – 2 May 1997No complete period was published before this government took office.
Conservative 1987–199212 June 1987 – 9 April 1992No complete period was published before this government took office.
Conservative 1983–198710 June 1983 – 11 June 1987No complete period was published before this government took office.
Conservative 1979–19834 May 1979 – 9 June 1983No complete period was published before this government took office.