Overview

• Research by Newton Europe and Revolving Doors estimates that about 29,000 prolific offenders commit roughly 130,000 offences annually, costing around £5 billion, or about £172,000 per person.
• The cohort is defined as people with eight or more convictions, typically for lower‑level crimes such as shoplifting, theft and assault.
• The calculation includes costs to policing, courts, prisons, the NHS and local authorities, along with business losses from stolen goods and violence against staff.
• Researchers say about six in ten in this group have unmet needs such as addiction, mental ill health, school exclusion or family difficulties that correlate with reoffending.
• The findings were presented at the Labour conference with a full report due October 20, as the government pushes a presumption against custody for sentences under 12 months that critics including Robert Jenrick call too soft, and officials flag a shoplifting "winter of action."