Dozens of dangerous offenders in Greater Manchester returned to custody for breaking probation agreements
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Police forces, probation services and other government agencies supervise and keep track of sex offenders, violent criminals and other dangerous individuals in communities across England and Wales through multi-agency public protection arrangements (Mappas).
Data from the Ministry of Justice shows 5,488 people convicted of a serious offence were being managed under Mappas in the Greater Manchester Police area at the end of March this year – up from 5,391 the year before.
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Hide AdHowever, probation services across the country returned more criminals to custody after they breached their licence than in any year since 2009-10.
Some 1,037 offenders broke their probation agreement and were returned to custody, a 19 per cent rise on the year before and the fifth successive annual increase.
Of these, 41 were in Greater Manchester – up from 23 in 2021-22.
Michaela-Clare Addison, national sexual violence lead at charity Victim Support, said: "A crucial reason for having these licence conditions is to protect victims and the public – so it is seriously concerning to see them increasing year on year, leading to the highest number of breaches in over a decade.
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Hide Ad"These figures must lead to action. We need to see more focus on prevention and management of offenders, as well as services for victims, to support those potentially being put at risk."
Meanwhile, as of March, there was a record 68,357 people on the sex offender's register across England and Wales, including 4,114 in Greater Manchester.