Offenders facing a 'postcode lottery in sentencing' Chief executive Frances Crook told The Times: "It is pleasing to see that magistrates" courts are sending fewer people to prison overall. However, one cannot ignore the striking disparity in trends between criminal justice areas. A short-term sentence is likely to compound issues such as addiction and make the person more likely to reoffend. It costs the taxpayer a fortune and it does nothing to help victims. In England, 3.8 per cent of offenders passing through the magistrates' courts in 2011 were given jail terms. In 2001, the rate dropped to 4.9 per cent. However, in Wales the rate rose from 4 per cent to 4.3 per cent over the ten-year period. Last month justice minister Helen Grant said female offenders would benefit benefit from community sentences. In an effort to reduce the female prison population and break the cycle of crime and abuse, courts are being urged to pass community sentences, backed by curfews, tagging and unpaid work, where possible. She said that many women who are low-risk offenders would benefit from "punitive, credible punishments in the community."