Revealed: Hundreds of repeat knife offenders spared jail despite ‘two strikes’ crackdown
More repeat knife offenders are being spared jail than at any time since a two-strike crackdown was introduced nearly a decade ago, The Independent can reveal.
Out of more than 4,000 adults caught carrying a knife or offensive weapon for at least the second time, nearly four in 10 were spared an immediate jail sentence in England and Wales in the year ending September 2023, exclusive analysis of Ministry of Justice figures shows.
The figures represent a record proportion of criminals being spared prison since a crackdown in 2015 which required repeat offenders to be jailed for a minimum of six months.
The findings by have escalated demands for a royal commission by the Police Federation of
