4 May 19799 June 1983

Justice during the Conservative 1979–1983 government

Summary

MetricLevel when government took officeLatestChange during government
Average sentence length of prisoners released from determinate sentencesMinistry of Justice · monthsNo complete period was published before this government took office.
Prison populationMinistry of Justice · peopleNo complete period was published before this government took office.
Prison useable operational capacityMinistry of Justice · placesNo complete period was published before this government took office.
Crown Court open casesMinistry of Justice · casesNo complete period was published before this government took office.
Charge rateHome Office · percentNo complete period was published before this government took office.
Homicides (Homicide Index)ONS · offences46819785571982 19.0%+89 · 4 periods

Average sentence length of prisoners released from determinate sentences

No complete period was published before this government took office.

Average sentence length of prisoners released from determinate sentences: 2020 to 2024ConservativeConservativeLabourLabour01020202020212022202320242020: 25.2 months · published 17 August 20262021: 26.6 months · published 17 August 20262022: 25.8 months · published 17 August 20262023: 25.2 months · published 17 August 20262024: 30 months · published 17 August 2026

Published valueProvisional or revisedLatestShaded bands: governments (see labels)Hover or use arrow keys to read a value

Prison population

No complete period was published before this government took office.

Prison population: Week beginning 17 August 2026 to Week beginning 24 August 2026LabourLabour025k50k75k2026Week beginning 17 August 2026: 86,722 people · published 17 August 2026Week beginning 24 August 2026: 86,843 people · published 24 August 2026

Published valueProvisional or revisedLatestShaded bands: governments (see labels)Hover or use arrow keys to read a value

Prison useable operational capacity

No complete period was published before this government took office.

Prison useable operational capacity: Week beginning 17 August 2026 to Week beginning 24 August 2026LabourLabour025k50k75k2026Week beginning 17 August 2026: 88,921 places · published 17 August 2026Week beginning 24 August 2026: 88,937 places · published 24 August 2026

Published valueProvisional or revisedLatestShaded bands: governments (see labels)Hover or use arrow keys to read a value

Crown Court open cases

No complete period was published before this government took office.

Crown Court open cases: 2016 Q1 to 2026 Q1ConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeLabourLabour025k50k75k2016201820202022202420262016 Q1: 48,255 cases · published 25 June 20262016 Q2: 44,858 cases · published 25 June 20262016 Q3: 43,461 cases · published 25 June 20262016 Q4: 43,110 cases · published 25 June 20262017 Q1: 41,706 cases · published 25 June 20262017 Q2: 41,105 cases · published 25 June 20262017 Q3: 40,200 cases · published 25 June 20262017 Q4: 38,980 cases · published 25 June 20262018 Q1: 36,840 cases · published 25 June 20262018 Q2: 35,633 cases · published 25 June 20262018 Q3: 34,637 cases · published 25 June 20262018 Q4: 33,049 cases · published 25 June 20262019 Q1: 33,118 cases · published 25 June 20262019 Q2: 34,232 cases · published 25 June 20262019 Q3: 35,430 cases · published 25 June 20262019 Q4: 38,123 cases · published 25 June 20262020 Q1: 40,968 cases · published 25 June 20262020 Q2: 43,154 cases · published 25 June 20262020 Q3: 51,315 cases · published 25 June 20262020 Q4: 57,058 cases · published 25 June 20262021 Q1: 59,827 cases · published 25 June 20262021 Q2: 60,858 cases · published 25 June 20262021 Q3: 59,936 cases · published 25 June 20262021 Q4: 58,617 cases · published 25 June 20262022 Q1: 58,136 cases · published 25 June 20262022 Q2: 59,445 cases · published 25 June 20262022 Q3: 63,031 cases · published 25 June 20262022 Q4: 62,689 cases · published 25 June 20262023 Q1: 62,011 cases · published 25 June 20262023 Q2: 64,602 cases · published 25 June 20262023 Q3: 66,316 cases · published 25 June 20262023 Q4: 67,116 cases · published 25 June 20262024 Q1: 68,821 cases · published 25 June 20262024 Q2: 70,705 cases · published 25 June 20262024 Q3: 72,675 cases · published 25 June 20262024 Q4: 74,016 cases · published 25 June 20262025 Q1: 76,357 cases · published 25 June 20262025 Q2: 77,816 cases · published 25 June 20262025 Q3: 79,306 cases · published 25 June 20262025 Q4: 80,098 cases · published 25 June 20262026 Q1: 80,061 cases · published 25 June 2026

Published valueProvisional or revisedLatestShaded bands: governments (see labels)Hover or use arrow keys to read a value

Charge rate

No complete period was published before this government took office.

Charge rate: Year ending March 2024 to Year ending March 2026ConservativeLabourLabour0%2.5%5%7.5%202420252026Year ending March 2024: 6.4% percent · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2025: 7.3% percent · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2026: 8.5% percent · published 23 July 2026

Published valueProvisional or revisedLatestShaded bands: governments (see labels)Hover or use arrow keys to read a value

Homicides (Homicide Index)

Inherited 1978: 468 offences. Latest 1982: 557.

Homicides (Homicide Index): 1967 to Year ending March 2025ConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeLabourLabourLabourCoalitionConservativeConservativeConservativeLabour02505007501970198019902000201020201967: 354 offences · published 5 February 20261968: 360 offences · published 5 February 20261969: 332 offences · published 5 February 20261970: 339 offences · published 5 February 20261971: 407 offences · published 5 February 20261972: 409 offences · published 5 February 20261973: 391 offences · published 5 February 20261974: 526 offences · published 5 February 20261975: 443 offences · published 5 February 20261976: 488 offences · published 5 February 20261977: 413 offences · published 5 February 20261978: 468 offences · published 5 February 20261979: 547 offences · published 5 February 20261980: 535 offences · published 5 February 20261981: 501 offences · published 5 February 20261982: 557 offences · published 5 February 20261983: 482 offences · published 5 February 20261984: 537 offences · published 5 February 20261985: 536 offences · published 5 February 20261986: 563 offences · published 5 February 20261987: 600 offences · published 5 February 20261988: 547 offences · published 5 February 20261989: 521 offences · published 5 February 20261990: 554 offences · published 5 February 20261991: 622 offences · published 5 February 20261992: 581 offences · published 5 February 20261993: 566 offences · published 5 February 20261994: 633 offences · published 5 February 20261995: 662 offences · published 5 February 20261996: 586 offences · published 5 February 2026Year ending March 1998: 602 offences · published 5 February 2026Year ending March 1999: 639 offences · published 5 February 2026Year ending March 2000: 668 offences · published 5 February 2026Year ending March 2001: 760 offences · published 5 February 2026Year ending March 2002: 793 offences · published 5 February 2026Year ending March 2003: 942 offences · published 5 February 2026Year ending March 2004: 773 offences · published 5 February 2026Year ending March 2005: 777 offences · published 5 February 2026Year ending March 2006: 709 offences · published 5 February 2026Year ending March 2007: 711 offences · published 5 February 2026Year ending March 2008: 731 offences · published 5 February 2026Year ending March 2009: 637 offences · published 5 February 2026Year ending March 2010: 592 offences · published 5 February 2026Year ending March 2011: 631 offences · published 5 February 2026Year ending March 2012: 525 offences · published 5 February 2026Year ending March 2013: 543 offences · published 5 February 2026Year ending March 2014: 520 offences · published 5 February 2026Year ending March 2015: 504 offences · published 5 February 2026Year ending March 2016: 538 offences · published 5 February 2026Year ending March 2017: 689 offences · published 5 February 2026Year ending March 2018: 698 offences · published 5 February 2026Year ending March 2019: 641 offences · published 5 February 2026Year ending March 2020: 676 offences · published 5 February 2026Year ending March 2021: 555 offences · published 5 February 2026Year ending March 2022: 672 offences · published 5 February 2026Year ending March 2023: 581 offences · published 5 February 2026Year ending March 2024: 566 offences · published 5 February 2026Year ending March 2025: 522 offences · published 5 February 2026

Published valueProvisional or revisedLatestOne point a year is drawn; the source publishes overlapping year-ending figures, and every one is in the history table and CSVShaded bands: governments (see labels)Hover or use arrow keys to read a value