One in five of Shropshire's criminals reoffend within a year of release or conviction
Almost a fifth of the county's criminals reoffend within a year of being convicted or released from prison, the most recent figures show.
The latest figures come as prison reform advocates said further investment in housing, education and employment is needed to address the high rate of criminals re-entering the justice system.
While the latest data from the Ministry of Justice show almost a fifth of Shropshire criminals re-offended within a year of being released from prison, cautioned, or handed a non-custodial conviction, the data shows local rates are lower than the national average.
Ministry of Justice figures show of 1,187 offenders in the year to September 2021 in the Telford & Wrekin area, 223 reoffended. That meant there was an 18.8 per cent rate of reoffending, a fall from 22.5 per cent the year prior.
In the Shropshire Council area, 221 reoffended, out of 1,142 that were released from prison, cautioned or handed a non-custodial conviction. This translates to a 19.4 per cent reoffending rate, an increase of 2.6 per cent from the year prior.
Andrew Neilson, director of campaigns at the Howard League for Penal Reform, said the Government should "follow its own research" which shows community sentences are more effective at reducing reoffending.
He said: "If someone needs support to move away from crime, they will have better access to the services that can help them if they are being supervised in the community than if they are locked in a prison cell for hours on end with nothing to do.
