Accredited official statistics

Criminal Justice Statistics quarterly: June 2026 (HTML)

Published 22 October 2026

Applies to England and Wales

Main Points

1.59 million individuals were formally dealt with by the Criminal Justice System (CJS)	The number of individuals formally dealt with by the CJS in England and Wales increased by 1% in the latest year.
The volume of out of court resolutions (OOCRs) has continued to increase	The total number of OOCRs issued increased by 5% in the latest year from 219,500 to 230,700. Police have continued to increase the use of community resolutions, with a 9% increase seen from 173,900 to 189,000.
Overall prosecution and conviction volumes remained stable compared with the previous year	Prosecutions for summary motoring offences reached a series peak, whilst summary non-motoring offences decreased from the previous year.
Prosecutions and convictions for indictable offences increased	There was a 3% increase in prosecutions and a 4% increase in convictions for indictable offences.
The number of defendants remanded in custody at magistrates’ courts and the Crown Court decreased by 2%	While remand volumes have decreased, the proportion of defendants remanded in custody at the Crown Court was 54%, similar to the previous year.
The overall average custodial sentence length (ACSL) increased to 20.5 months	There were increases across many offence groups, most notably an increase of 3.0 months for violence against the person.

This publication provides criminal justice statistics for the latest 12-month period, with comparisons made to corresponding periods in previous years where appropriate.

The bulletin is accompanied by overview tables. For technical detail about sources, data quality, and terminology, please refer to the accompanying technical guide to criminal justice statistics.

The publication may include revisions for figures previously published where additional data has become available since those publications.

Introduction

This report presents key statistics on activity in the Criminal Justice System (CJS) for England and Wales. It provides commentary for the 12-month period of July 2025 to June 2026 (referred to as the ‘latest year’). The contents of this bulletin will be of interest to government policy makers in the development of policy and their subsequent monitoring and evaluation. Others will be interested in the way different crimes are dealt with in the CJS and trends in sentencing outcomes.

Changes and revisions in this publication

One Magistrates’ Project

Following the improvements to data quality and coherence seen as a result of the One Crown project, alongside HMCTS we have commenced the One Magistrates project. This project will review all data we publish concerning the magistrates’ courts and aims to improve quality, coherence and value for users. There is the potential for the magistrates’ courts data series to change as the project develops – we will continue to consult users and outline key areas of change in future releases of this bulletin.

For feedback related to the content of this publication, please contact us at CJS_Statistics@justice.gov.uk

Statistician’s comment

The number of people prosecuted, convicted and sentenced in England and Wales remained stable compared to last year.

Below the headline figures, prosecutions for indictable offences continued to rise, alongside an increase in the number of crimes resulting in a police charge.

Motoring prosecutions reached their highest level in the series, while prosecutions for summary non-motoring offences fell.

The use of immediate custody continued to rise, with the number of immediate custodial sentences at the highest level since year ending June 2018, while the custody rate changed little in the latest year.

At magistrates’ courts, more offenders received immediate custodial sentences, particularly between six and twelve months following the extension of magistrates’ sentencing powers. At the Crown Court, slightly fewer offenders were sentenced overall but the number receiving custodial sentences of more than 12 months increased.

Offenders sentenced to prison received longer sentences on average. Average sentence lengths for many offence groups increased, particularly violence against the person.

1. Overview of the Criminal Justice System

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1.59 million individuals were formally dealt with by the Criminal Justice System (CJS)

The number of individuals^{[footnote 1]} formally dealt with by the CJS^{[footnote 2]} in England and Wales increased by 1% in the latest year, the highest seen since year ending June 2017.

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There were 7.08 million crimes recorded by the police in the latest year, the highest level seen in the series, and an 8% increase on the previous year. Levels of police recorded crime are influenced by changes in police activity and recording practices.

The number of crimes that resulted in a charge has also continued to increase. Charge volumes increased by 17% in the latest year to 568,100 – this is the highest volume seen over the last decade. This increase coincides with a continued rise in prosecutions for indictable offences.

The volume of out of court resolutions (OOCRs) increased by 5% in the latest year, to the highest level seen since year ending June 2017 and make up 15% of individuals dealt with. The change is due to continued increases in the use of community resolutions.

The number of defendants prosecuted remained stable compared to the previous year, with prosecutions maintaining high levels last seen in 2017. Prosecutions for the more serious indictable offences continued to increase and account for a larger proportion of individuals dealt with (18%), whilst prosecutions for summary offences slightly decreased following yearly increases and accounted for a similar proportion of individuals dealt with (68%).

2. Out of Court Resolutions

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The volume of out of court resolutions (OOCRs) has continued to increase
The total number of OOCRs issued increased by 5% in the latest year, from 219,500 to 230,700. Police have continued to increase the use of community resolutions, with a 9% increase from 173,900 to 189,000. All other OOCR categories decreased and are now at series lows.

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Out of court resolutions (OOCRs) are sanctions used by the police to address offences without the need to be dealt with at court. There were around 230,700 OOCRs issued in year ending June 2026, an increase of 5% compared with the previous year, to a level similar to that last seen in year ending June 2018.

This rise was due to the continued increase in the use of community resolutions^{[footnote 3]} - with 189,000 issued (a 9% increase) in year ending June 2026, representing a series high and accounting for 82% of all OOCRs issued.

There was a decrease of 8% across all other OOCR types combined compared with the previous year. This consists of a decrease of 4% in cautions and a 56% decrease in other resolutions (cannabis/khat warnings and penalty notices for disorder), the lowest in the series.

Although caution volumes decreased, there were small increases in those issued for possession of weapons, public order offences, miscellaneous crimes against society and fraud offences. The overall cautioning rate^{[footnote 4]} has increased slightly but remained around 8%.

3. Prosecutions & Convictions

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Overall prosecution and conviction volumes remained stable compared with the previous year
Whilst overall figures remained broadly similar, there was a 3% increase in prosecutions and a 4% increase in convictions for indictable offences.

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In the year ending June 2026, there were 1.36 million defendants proceeded against at magistrates’ courts (including Single Justice Procedure cases), stable on the previous year and the highest seen since year ending June 2017.

The number of prosecutions for the more serious indictable offences increased by 3%, with increases across most indictable offence groups. These included a 15% increase for sexual offences (up by 2,100), a 10% increase in public order offences (up by 2,200), and a 9% increase for theft offences (up by 6,600).

However, prosecutions for violence against the person decreased by 11% in the latest year (down by 7,000). This was largely due to reductions in prosecutions for assaulting an emergency worker, which almost halved (down by 7,600, or 46%) following revised CPS guidance for assault on emergency worker offences^{[footnote 5]}.

Prosecutions for summary offences decreased by 1% overall. Within this offence group, prosecutions for summary motoring offences increased by 6% to 821,000, the highest volume recorded in the series. In contrast, prosecutions for summary non-motoring offences decreased by 18%, driven primarily by falls in railway fare evasion and television licence evasion offences.

In year ending June 2026, a total of 1.20 million offenders were convicted across all criminal courts in England and Wales, stable compared with the previous year. Convictions for indictable offences increased by 4% on the previous year (from 226,700 to 234,900) - due in part to an increase of over 6,000 defendants convicted for theft offences, up by 10%.

The number of offenders convicted at magistrates’ courts (including SJP) remained stable at around 1.14 million when compared to year ending June 2025. Convictions for indictable offences increased to 178,900, up by 4% from the previous year and the highest seen since year ending June 2017, with the largest increase seen in public order offences (up by 13% or 2,200).

At the Crown Court, 59,000 offenders were convicted, an increase of 3% from the previous year, with 56,000 offenders convicted of indictable offences, and increases seen across most offence groups.

Trends in convictions for the most serious indictable offences tend to lag prosecutions because prosecutions are recorded when proceedings are completed in the magistrates’ court, whereas convictions are likely to be recorded later when cases conclude at the Crown Court^{[footnote 6]}.

4. Remands

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The number of defendants remanded in custody at magistrates’ courts and the Crown Court decreased by 2%
While remand volumes have decreased, the proportion of defendants remanded in custody at the Crown Court was 54%, similar to the previous year.

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For most defendants, both before court and at magistrates’ courts, remand status was recorded as either not applicable or unknown (around 80%). This reflects the high volume of Single Justice Procedure cases, which are dealt with remotely and do not require a remand decision. At pre-court and magistrates’ courts, the proportion of defendants bailed was similar to the previous year.

At magistrates’ courts, the total volume of those remanded in custody decreased by 2% from the previous year. However, the proportion remanded in custody showed little change on the previous year at 5%. The volume of those remanded in custody for more serious indictable and triable either way offences showed small decreases following a series high in the previous year.

At the Crown Court, the volume of defendants remanded in custody decreased slightly to 57,500 compared to the previous year (58,700). The proportion of defendants remanded in custody decreased slightly to 54% in year ending June 2026, while bail slightly increased to 46%.

Defendants dealt with for indictable offences are more often remanded in custody for reasons such as the severity of offence, risk of further offending and likelihood of failing to appear at court. Of those remanded in custody at the Crown Court, 79% were sentenced to immediate custody or a suspended custodial sentence, similar to the previous year but lower than levels seen earlier in the series. This compared with a stable 51% of those who were bailed.

5. Sentencing

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The overall average custodial sentence length (ACSL) increased to 20.5 months
There were increases across many offence groups, most notably an increase of 3.0 months for violence against the person.

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Sentencing Volumes

There were 1.20 million offenders sentenced in year ending June 2026 at the criminal courts, stable compared with the previous year. Most offenders (77%) continued to be sentenced to a fine, with summary motoring offences accounting for 78% of all fines issued.

• At magistrates’ courts, 1.11 million offenders were sentenced in the year ending June 2026, similar to the previous year. Most offenders (83%) continued to receive a fine, with summary motoring offences accounting for 78% of all fines issued.

• At the Crown Court, 85,000 offenders were sentenced in the year ending June 2026, a 1% decrease on the previous year. This was largely driven by a 10% fall in offenders appearing for sentencing after conviction at magistrates’ courts, from 29,900 to 26,800.

Custodial sentences

Across the criminal courts, there were 86,700 offenders sentenced to immediate custody – this represents an increase of 2% on the previous year and is the highest level seen since year ending June 2018, largely due to increases at magistrates’ courts following increased magistrates sentencing powers.

The custody rate^{[footnote 7]} for indictable offences had little change on the previous year (33%) but is higher than year ending June 2017 (31%). The highest custody rates in the latest year were seen for robbery and sexual offences, at 61% and 54% respectively.

• At magistrates’ courts, 37,600 offenders received an immediate custodial sentence, up 7% on the previous year and the highest level since year ending June 2018 (38,200).

• At the Crown Court, 49,000 offenders received an immediate custodial sentence, a 1% decrease on the previous year. The custody rate increased slightly from 57% to 58%.

Custodial sentences of less than 12 months continued to account for over half (57%) of all custodial sentences, although the distribution of these sentences across courts has shifted following the increase in magistrates’ sentencing powers.

• At magistrates’ courts, custodial sentences of over 6 months and up to and including 12 months continued to rise, increasing from 2,000 to 3,500 in year ending June 2026. This increase follows the extension of magistrates’ sentencing powers (MSP) in November 2024. The increase in 6 to 12 month custodial sentences suggests that more offenders are being sentenced by magistrates’ courts rather than being sent to the Crown Court for trial or sentencing.

• At the Crown Court, custodial sentences of over 6 months and up to and including 12 months decreased by 12%, while custodial sentences of over 12 months increased by 4%. The decrease in shorter custodial sentences coincides with the increase in magistrates’ sentencing powers and the reduction in offenders appearing for sentencing after conviction at magistrates’ courts.

Average custodial sentence length (ACSL)

In the latest year, the overall ACSL^{[footnote 8]} was 20.5 months, up 0.6 months from the previous year. Despite small fluctuations in recent years, it was 3.7 months higher than in year ending June 2017.

Changes in the cases dealt with by courts following the extension of magistrates’ sentencing powers have contributed to increases in the overall ACSL for indictable offences across both jurisdictions. The ACSL for indictable offences increased by 0.8 months to 22.8 months in the latest year. This included increases in most indictable offence groups, most notably a 3.0 month rise for violence against the person offences.

• At magistrates’ courts, the ACSL increased from 3.0 months in the year ending June 2025 to 3.2 months in the year ending June 2026. This was driven by an increase in the ACSL for triable either-way offences (from 3.2 months to 3.4 months in the latest year).

• At the Crown Court, the ACSL increased from 32.0 months in year ending June 2025 to 33.9 months in year ending June 2026.

Further information

Accompanying files

As well as this bulletin, the following products are published as part of this release:

• A technical guide providing further information on how the data is collected and processed, as well as information on the revisions policy and legislation relevant to sentencing trends and background on CJS.

• A user guide listing all products alongside this release; this allows easy navigation of all files accompanying this release.

• A set of overview tables covering each section of this bulletin.

• A set of interactive tools and data CSV files underpinning all data tools.

• A machine-readable offence group classification document outlining offence groupings.

Accredited official statistics status

Accredited Official Statistics are called National Statistics in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007. These Accredited Official Statistics were independently reviewed by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) in May 2020^{[footnote 9]}. They comply with the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics and should be labelled as Accredited Official Statistics.

Our statistical practice is regulated by the OSR, which sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to. You are welcome to contact us directly with any comments about how we meet these standards. Alternatively, you can contact OSR by emailing regulation@statistics.gov.uk or via the OSR website.

It is the Ministry of Justice’s responsibility to maintain compliance with the standards expected for accredited official statistics. If we become concerned about whether these statistics are still meeting the appropriate standards, we will discuss any concerns with the Authority promptly. Accredited official statistics status can be removed at any point when the highest standards are not maintained and reinstated when standards are restored.

Future publications

Our statisticians regularly review the content of publications. Development of new and improved statistical outputs is dependent on reallocating existing resources. As part of our continual review and prioritisation, we welcome user feedback on existing outputs including content, breadth, frequency, and methodology and in particular on the specific issues identified in the introduction. Please send any comments you have on this publication.

Contact

Press enquiries should be directed to the Ministry of Justice press office:

Tel: 0300 790 0711

URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/media-enquiries

Other enquiries about these statistics should be directed to Criminal Courts & Sentencing Data and Statistics team in the Analysis unit of the Ministry of Justice:

Email: CJS_Statistics@justice.gov.uk

Next update: January 2027

URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/criminal-justice-statistics

© Crown copyright

Produced by the Ministry of Justice

Alternative formats are available on request from CJS_Statistics@justice.gov.uk

1. An individual (includes companies) can be counted more than once in a year if dealt with by the CJS on multiple separate occasions. ↩

2. The number of individuals formally dealt with by the CJS is the sum of all defendants prosecuted at magistrates’ court plus all individuals issued an out of court resolution (including cautions, Penalty Notice for Disorder, cannabis/khat warning and community resolutions). ↩

3. Some police forces have moved to reduce the types of out of court resolutions used for adult offenders. In these areas, the only out of court resolutions used are community resolutions and conditional cautions. Cannabis/Khat warnings will not be used. ↩

4. The cautioning rate represents the percentage of offenders (those either cautioned or convicted, excluding motoring offences) who received a caution. ↩

5. For further information, see Assaults against emergency workers: Update to CPS prosecution guidance ↩

6. It is not advised to use this data to calculate conviction rate (the number of convictions as a proportion of total prosecutions). This is due to the Court Proceedings Database counting two separate records at two separate stages (one at magistrates’ court, one at Crown Court). An individual may be convicted in a different year from when they were initially prosecuted, or the principal offence may differ between these stages. As a result, this rate is not an accurate measure of the proportion of prosecutions that result in a conviction. ↩

7. Custody rate reflects the percentage of offenders that received an immediate custodial sentence. It is calculated by dividing the number of offenders issued an immediate custodial sentence, by the total number of offenders sentenced. ↩

8. Average Custodial Sentence Length is calculated by dividing the total combined custodial sentence length imposed (in months), by the number of offenders sentenced to immediate custody. This calculation excludes suspended sentences, life sentences, other indeterminate sentences, custodial sentences recorded as 60 years or more (which are assumed to be administrative errors) and custodial sentences where the sentence length is unknown. ↩

9. Office for Statistics Regulation: Proven re-offending and criminal justice system statistics ↩