Four in 10 low-level offenders subject to supervision orders would have been locked up immediately if problem-solving courts had not been introduced for criminal behaviour, according to new Ministry of Justice data.

Earlier this year the government announced a £9m boost to double the number of intensive supervision courts, which were introduced in 2023 with the aim to cut reoffending by focusing on offenders whose addictions have driven their criminal behaviour.

Data covering four specialist courts reveals that 369 orders were handed down between July 2023 and March 2026. 

Judges were asked what sentence they would have imposed if intensive supervision court orders had not been available. From this particular data  that four in 10 offenders would have received an immediate custodial sentence. Five in 10 would have received a suspended sentence. The courts dealing with substance misuse diverted 44% of people from immediate jail terms. A specialist court for women diverted 53% from prison.

Rehabilitation activity was the most common requirement attached to an order, followed by drug and mental health treatment. Nine in 10 people had at least one community sentence treatment requirement. A total of 2,245 needs were identified across the cohort, with mental health the most prevalent.

Six in 10 people complied with their orders. Sanctions for breaches include prison time for up to 28 days, which can be imposed three times during the course of an order. Of the 369 people who received an order, 20 were briefly locked up; sanctions were issued in total.

Just over half of orders due to end by March 2026 were completed. Orders are not completed if they have been terminated early due to the offender being resentenced for a breach or new offence, if their suspended sentence order is activated or if they have moved out of the area, which can occur if they are a victim of domestic abuse.

A full evaluation of the effectiveness of the intensive supervision court pilot will be completed in 2028.