Life Imprisonment
(asked on 12th July 2022) - View Source
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people received a life sentence with a tariff of between 20 years to less than 25 years, and were (1) under 18, (2) 18 to 20, (3) 21 to 24, (4) 25 to 29, (5) 30 to 34, (6) 35 to 39, (7) 40 to 49, (8) 50 to 59, (9) 60 to 69, and (10) 70 and older, at the time of sentencing in each year since 2002.
By law, prisoners serving life and other indeterminate sentences must complete their tariff in custody and thereafter be released only when the Parole Board concludes that it is no longer necessary for the protection of the public for them to remain confined to custody. The Government is committed to supporting prisoners to reduce their risk and so progress towards safe release, but the priority is always to protect the public.
HL1687
The following table shows the number of prisoners that received a life sentence and were (1) under 18, (2) 18 to 20, (3) 21 to 24, (4) 25 to 29, (5) 30 to 34, (6) 35 to 39, (7) 40 to 49, (8) 50 to 59, (9) 60 to 69, and (10) 70 years of age and older, at the time of sentencing in each year since 2002.
| Age at Sentence | |||||||||
Year of sentence | Under 18 | 18 to 20 | 21 to 24 | 25 to 29 | 30 to 34 | 35 to 39 | 40 to 49 | 50 to 59 | 60 to 69 | 70 and over |
2002 | 14 | 55 | 88 | 98 | 95 | 94 | 95 | 33 | 10 | * |
2003 | 11 | 55 | 75 | 87 | 86 | 89 | 98 | 34 | 4 | * |
2004 | 16 | 55 | 95 | 105 | 86 | 90 | 114 | 26 | 16 | * |
2005 | 31 | 64 | 109 | 84 | 93 | 99 | 99 | 46 | 9 | 0 |
2006 | 22 | 65 | 101 | 114 | 78 | 75 | 112 | 30 | 6 | * |
2007 | 25 | 75 | 90 | 77 | 58 | 48 | 78 | 53 | 7 | 5 |
2008 | 30 | 56 | 95 | 84 | 67 | 53 | 100 | 36 | 19 | 0 |
2009 | 27 | 67 | 73 | 78 | 55 | 45 | 79 | 29 | 8 | 0 |
2010 | 18 | 45 | 60 | 78 | 55 | 39 | 59 | 28 | 10 | * |
2011 | 16 | 34 | 59 | 75 | 52 | 42 | 65 | 36 | 13 | * |
2012 | 15 | 49 | 63 | 73 | 61 | 39 | 75 | 34 | 12 | * |
2013 | 14 | 37 | 56 | 69 | 67 | 51 | 67 | 35 | 13 | * |
2014 | 21 | 44 | 77 | 74 | 45 | 40 | 85 | 51 | 9 | 6 |
2015 | 14 | 40 | 51 | 56 | 53 | 45 | 70 | 31 | 10 | 4 |
2016 | 10 | 45 | 64 | 58 | 50 | 46 | 86 | 43 | 16 | 3 |
2017 | 12 | 41 | 59 | 62 | 50 | 55 | 63 | 32 | 9 | 5 |
2018 | 29 | 54 | 62 | 57 | 57 | 60 | 74 | 46 | 15 | * |
2019 | 30 | 60 | 51 | 76 | 64 | 57 | 66 | 41 | 8 | 5 |
2020 | 22 | 42 | 53 | 45 | 35 | 37 | 45 | 23 | 3 | * |
2021 | 27 | 77 | 67 | 79 | 62 | 49 | 70 | 23 | 15 | * |
HL1688
The following table shows the number of prisoners that received a life sentence with a tariff of between 10 years to less than 15 years, and were (1) under 18, (2) 18 to 20, (3) 21 to 24, (4) 25 to 29, (5) 30 to 34, (6) 35 to 39, (7) 40–49, (8) 50 to 59, (9) 60 to 69, and (10) 70 years of age and older, at the time of sentencing in each year since 2002.
| Age at Sentence | |||||||||
Year of sentence | Under 18 | 18 to 20 | 21 to 24 | 25 to 29 | 30 to 34 | 35 to 39 | 40 to 49 | 50 to 59 | 60 to 69 | 70 and over |
2002 | 4 | 19 | 38 | 37 | 27 | 26 | 28 | 6 | 3 | 0 |
2003 | 4 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 4 | 0 | * |
2004 | 6 | 23 | 35 | 31 | 33 | 28 | 35 | 6 | 6 | * |
2005 | 10 | 26 | 38 | 29 | 24 | 26 | 24 | 17 | * | 0 |
2006 | 6 | 23 | 30 | 33 | 27 | 22 | 26 | 11 | 3 | 0 |
2007 | 11 | 37 | 39 | 25 | 27 | 10 | 26 | 23 | * | * |
2008 | 21 | 28 | 36 | 25 | 19 | 18 | 38 | 13 | 4 | 0 |
2009 | 14 | 32 | 26 | 20 | 20 | 14 | 24 | 6 | 4 | 0 |
2010 | 12 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 8 | * | * |
2011 | 12 | 9 | 17 | 16 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 7 | 8 | 0 |
2012 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 19 | 13 | 8 | 20 | 12 | * | * |
2013 | 7 | 11 | 3 | 12 | 12 | 5 | 17 | 11 | 4 | 0 |
2014 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 12 | * | 3 |
2015 | 8 | 5 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 4 | 12 | 7 | 3 | * |
2016 | 4 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 9 | 7 | 13 | 11 | 3 | 0 |
2017 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 3 | * |
2018 | 16 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 5 | * |
2019 | 12 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 4 | * | 4 |
2020 | 5 | 8 | * | 6 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 4 | * | 0 |
2021 | 9 | 11 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 11 | 3 | * | * |
HL1689
The following table shows the number of prisoners that received a life sentence with a tariff of between 15 years to less than 20 years, and were (1) under 18, (2) 18 to 20, (3) 21 to 24, (4) 25 to 29, (5) 30 to 34, (6) 35 to 39, (7) 40 to 49, (8) 50 to 59, (9) 60 to 69, and (10) 70 years of age and older, at the time of sentencing in each year since 2002.
| Age at Sentence | |||||||||
Year of sentence | Under 18 | 18 to 20 | 21 to 24 | 25 to 29 | 30 to 34 | 35 to 39 | 40 to 49 | 50 to 59 | 60 to 69 | 70 and over |
2002 | 0 | 4 | 15 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 5 | * | 0 |
2003 | * | 3 | 14 | 9 | 16 | 14 | 19 | * | 0 | 0 |
2004 | 0 | 11 | 23 | 23 | 12 | 13 | 15 | * | * | 0 |
2005 | * | 6 | 17 | 18 | 22 | 12 | 10 | 9 | * | 0 |
2006 | * | 14 | 16 | 24 | 8 | 10 | 15 | 3 | * | 0 |
2007 | 3 | 19 | 20 | 22 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 8 | * | 0 |
2008 | * | 18 | 22 | 19 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 5 | * | 0 |
2009 | 5 | 15 | 22 | 20 | 16 | 16 | 26 | 9 | * | 0 |
2010 | * | 16 | 19 | 28 | 18 | 8 | 21 | 8 | * | 0 |
2011 | 3 | 16 | 14 | 30 | 14 | 13 | 22 | 11 | * | 0 |
2012 | 6 | 16 | 18 | 9 | 19 | 7 | 19 | 9 | 4 | 0 |
2013 | * | 10 | 23 | 14 | 20 | 15 | 18 | 6 | * | 0 |
2014 | 5 | 10 | 24 | 19 | 6 | 8 | 21 | 13 | * | * |
2015 | 4 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 8 | 12 | 9 | * | 0 |
2016 | 3 | 10 | 17 | 6 | 12 | 9 | 27 | 11 | 6 | * |
2017 | 5 | 27 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 5 | * | * |
2018 | 10 | 21 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 21 | 16 | 14 | 4 | 0 |
2019 | 17 | 25 | 11 | 23 | 13 | 17 | 19 | 13 | * | * |
2020 | 13 | 20 | 10 | 5 | 10 | 6 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
2021 | 14 | 36 | 14 | 22 | 21 | 12 | 18 | 8 | 5 | 0 |
HL1690
The following table shows the number of prisoners that received a life sentence with a tariff of between 20 years to less than 25 years, and were (1) under 18, (2) 18 to 20, (3) 21 to 24, (4) 25 to 29, (5) 30 to 34, (6) 35 to 39, (7) 40 to 49, (8) 50 to 59, (9) 60 to 69, and (10) 70 and older, at the time of sentencing in each year since 2002.
| Age at Sentence | |||||||||
Year of sentence | Under 18 | 18 to 20 | 21 to 24 | 25 to 29 | 30 to 34 | 35 to 39 | 40 to 49 | 50 to 59 | 60 to 69 | 70 and over |
2002 | 0 | 0 | * | * | * | * | 3 | 0 | * | 0 |
2003 | 0 | * | 4 | 6 | 3 | * | * | * | 0 | 0 |
2004 | 0 | * | 5 | 11 | * | 4 | 4 | * | * | 0 |
2005 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 3 | * | 0 |
2006 | 0 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 7 | * | 9 | * | 0 | 0 |
2007 | 0 | 7 | 7 | * | 4 | * | * | 6 | 0 | 0 |
2008 | * | 5 | 15 | 14 | 9 | 5 | 14 | * | 0 | 0 |
2009 | * | 10 | 10 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
2010 | * | 11 | 13 | 20 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
2011 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 15 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
2012 | 0 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 10 | 6 | 19 | 7 | * | 0 |
2013 | 0 | 8 | 14 | 14 | 9 | 11 | 7 | 9 | * | 0 |
2014 | * | 11 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 16 | 10 | * | * |
2015 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 9 | 13 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
2016 | 0 | 11 | 24 | 13 | 6 | 9 | 14 | 7 | * | 0 |
2017 | 0 | 7 | 15 | 15 | 11 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
2018 | 0 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 10 | 11 | 6 | * | 0 |
2019 | 0 | 13 | 19 | 18 | 14 | 8 | 13 | 10 | * | 0 |
2020 | * | 11 | 23 | 16 | 10 | 5 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
2021 | * | 11 | 24 | 18 | 9 | 10 | 13 | * | 3 | 0 |
Notes for all figures in the tables provided above:
Due to rounding, the interquartile range may not equal the difference between the third and first quartiles.
Figures do not include whole-life orders.
Tariff length is the time between date of sentence and tariff expiry date.
Numbers are subject to revision as more data become available.
An asterisk (*) has been used to suppress values of one or two. This is to prevent the disclosure of individual information. Further disclosure control may be completed where this alone is not sufficient.
The figures in these tables have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. Data has been supplied for as many of the requested years as it is possible to provide within cost limits; earlier years may not be available due to changes in recording over time.