WORCESTERSHIRE magistrates are being urged to send fewer offenders to prison.

A charity working to reduce crime made the comments after releasing figures showing West Mercia magistrates are more than twice as likely to lock up defendants as courts in other parts of the country.

The Howard League for Penal Reform says courts in the West Mercia area, which includes Worcestershire, locked up defendants in 3.4 per cent of the cases they heard in 2011, more than areas such as Warwickshire (1.5 per cent) and Northumbria (1.6). The national average, however, was 3.8 per cent.

“It is pleasing to see that magistrates’ courts are sending fewer people to prison overall than they have in the past,” said Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League.

“However, one cannot ignore the striking disparity in sentencing trends between different criminal justice areas.

“A short-term prison sentence is a catastrophe for everyone. It does not help change the life of the person sentenced - indeed, it is likely to compound issues such as drug addiction and make them more likely to reoffend.

“It costs the taxpayer a fortune and it does nothing to help victims, who get no recompense or easing of trauma.”

He said short prison sentences increase the chance of people becoming victims of crime, “because the failure rate is so high”.

“Community sentences are much cheaper than custody and they deliver better results,” said Mr Crook.

“They not only address a person’s offending, but allow them to access other services they need, such as help with drink, drugs or mental health problems.”

The maximum sentence magistrates can impose is a six-month prison term, or up to 12 months in total for more than one offence.

According to the Howard League, magistrates’ courts in West Mercia handed out 21,695 sentences to men, women and children during 2011, of which 730 were custodial.

The Howard League says it works for less crime, safer communities and fewer people in prison.