Killers, sex attackers and serial burglars are being let off with prison sentences of less than a year, according to official figures that undermine plans to let loose more criminals.
Some 70,000 offences from manslaughter and kidnapping to sexual offences against children attract sentences of less than 12 months every year.
Tory MPs seized on the evidence, warning that the coalition could leave people less safe.
'Risk': Justice Secretary Ken Clarke's plans could see serious criminals 'roaming the street' Tories fear
Ken Clarke used his first major speech as Justice Secretary to question the value of ‘banging up more and more people’.
He said that sending offenders to jail often proved to be a ‘costly and ineffectual approach that fails to turn criminals into law-abiding citizens’ and called for ‘intelligent sentencing’ with a greater focus on rehabilitation.
But analysis of the short sentences he wants to replace with community sentences reveals it will lead to thousands of serious criminals escaping a spell behind bars.
In 2008, the last year for which there are figures, nearly 20,000 cases of theft, more than 7,000 of violence against the person and more than 4,000 burglary convictions attracted lenient sentences of less than a year.
More seriously, 80 people were convicted of conspiracy to commit murder but also escaped with such prison terms.
Eleven of those were jailed for less than three months.
Six people convicted of manslaughter, three rapists and 74 guilty of wounding to endanger life also got off with less than a year behind bars.
Tory MPs opposed to the Government’s plans leapt on evidence that child sex attackers might also benefit from Mr Clarke’s proposals.
In total, 622 sex offenders got off with sentences of less than 12 months, including 315 guilty of sexual assault.
Five people guilty of trafficking for sexual exploitation, nine convicted of incest, eight guilty of gross indecency with children and 103 of sexual activity with an under 16 got off with less than a year in prison.
The figures were obtained by Tory MP Philip Davies, who fuelled a growing rebellion last night by admitting that he would defy a three-line whip to vote against the measures.
‘The idea that people who are sent to prison for short periods of time do not commit serious offences is blown apart by these figures,’ he said.
‘Most people would consider most of these offences, like conspiracy to commit murder and gross indecency with children, extremely serious offences.
‘The idea that these people would be better not sent to prison and in community sentences to me is completely ridiculous and will horrify most decent people.’
The Justice Secretary is in danger of committing political suicide, Mr Davies insisted before urging a rethink.
‘Not only is Ken Clarke in danger of upsetting an awful lot of Conservative voters but he could also put at risk a great number of people by having these serious offenders roaming the streets,’ he added.
Yesterday there were signs of a growing rebellion on the Tory benches as former leader Michael Howard – who declared that ‘prison works’ when he was home secretary in 1993 – condemned the plans.
David Nuttall, MP for Bury North, demanded a Commons debate on the issue and called for longer, not shorter, sentences.
A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: ‘There are some nasty people who commit nasty offences.
‘They must be punished, and our communities protected.
‘That is why this Government has committed to a full review of sentencing policy, to ensure that it is effective in deterring crime, protecting the public, punishing offenders and cutting re-offending.’ ( dailymail.co.uk )
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