Repeat offenders: Jack Straw`s ‘three strikes’ legacy looks light on sentence

Only one in five repeat offenders has tougher sentencing as an historical crackdown on burglars appears to be “going soft”.

Latest figures show the `three strikes and you`re out` law introduced by former Labour Home Secretary Jack Straw 15 years ago are light on heavier punishments.

Mr Straw promised to imprison burglars convicted for a third time for at least three years.

But during 2012, 2013 and 2014, only 679 of 3,035 repeat offenders were sentenced to three or more years, data obtained under Freedom of Information requests reveals.

The 2,356 given lesser punishments included 134 who walked free with suspended jail terms and 90 given community service.

Peter Cuthbertson, of the Centre for Crime Prevention, told The Sun: “It’s sickening to see liberal judges closeted from reality ignore the law in this way.”

The centre’s research director David Spencer added: “The system as it stands frustrates police efforts to tackle career criminals, who still make up the bulk of their workload, as well as being a slap in the face to the innocent victims of their offences.

“Making sentences even softer would only serve to make the system even less effective, and stretch police resources all the more.

“Keeping prisoners behind bars is not cheap, but it is still less expensive than having the police constantly having to chase the same individuals again and again.”

He reiterated the concern that cost-cutting plans to slash prison sentences would be a “dereliction of duty”.

Judges are believed to have taken advantage of a loophole which allows them to take a softer approach if “there are particular circumstances” that make the minimum term unjust.

The Ministry of Justice said sentencing decisions are taken on the full facts of each case.