ONLY one in three prolific offenders sentenced last year were jailed, figures have showed.
Tens of thousands of criminals with 15 or more previous convictions came before the courts, but one in five were given a community sentence, one in 10 a suspended sentence and one in three were jailed.
Of all those charged with an indictable offence for more serious crimes, one in 20 escaped with a caution.
Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke has promised a "rehabilitation revolution" with a series of programmes to stop repeat offenders from re-offending, halt the revolving door of crime and divert criminals with mental health, alcohol or drug problems into treatment.
The plans, which will see "extremely serious changes" to sentencing, will see less use of jail sentences as the Government aims to cut the near-record prison population of more than 85,000.
Short-term sentences of less than 12 months are expected to survive, but fewer will be handed down as they are kept mainly for serious first-time offenders or when other options have been exhausted.
Mr Clarke has said it is a national scandal that nearly half of all offenders re-offend within a year of being released from jail.
Three in four criminals offend again within nine years of being let out and 40% commit another offence within 12 months.
Re-offending rates are "unacceptably high" and "underline the urgent need for steps to counter it", said Mr Clarke.
A total of 101,050 prolific offenders – those with 15 or more convictions or cautions – were charged with an indictable offence, of which 4,340 were cautioned.
Of the remaining 96,710 sentenced – almost double the 54,242 sentenced in 2000 – less than 35,000 were jailed immediately.
The figures were released by the Ministry of Justice,
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