Civometry

Ministry of Justice · 5 July 2024 – present

Average custodial sentence length (indictable offences) during the Labour 2024– government

Year ending March 2024 → Year ending March 2026 · 2 periods

↓ 4.3%−1 months

Average custodial sentence length (indictable offences) fell by 4.3% over the period, from 23 months (Year ending March 2024, the level when the government took office) to 22 (Year ending March 2026, the latest available).

  1. Inherited level Year ending March 2024: 23
  2. Latest Year ending March 2026: 22
  3. method: latest complete period before start / before end

Changes during this period do not by themselves show what the government caused. Statistics reflect many influences, including earlier decisions, the economy and how the data is collected.

Average custodial sentence length (indictable offences): Year ending March 2016 to Year ending March 2026ConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeLabourLabour01020201620182020202220242026Year ending March 2016: 19 months · published 30 July 2026Year ending March 2017: 20 months · published 30 July 2026Year ending March 2018: 21 months · published 30 July 2026Year ending March 2019: 21 months · published 30 July 2026Year ending March 2020: 21 months · published 30 July 2026Year ending March 2021: 19 months · published 30 July 2026Year ending March 2022: 24 months · published 30 July 2026Year ending March 2023: 23 months · published 30 July 2026Year ending March 2024: 23 months · published 30 July 2026Year ending March 2025: 22 months · published 30 July 2026Year ending March 2026: 22 months · published 30 July 2026
Published valueProvisional or revisedLatestShaded bands: governments (see labels)Hover or use arrow keys to read a value

Definition and caveats

The average (mean) length in months of immediate custodial sentences imposed for indictable offences at criminal courts in England and Wales in the twelve months ending March.

Doesn’t measure: Life and other indeterminate sentences, sentences recorded as 60 years or more, or sentences for summary offences; nor time actually served.