In 1999, the courts sentenced 1.41 million offenders, 4 percent fewer than in 1998. The courts sentenced 105,300 people to prison in 1999, the highest figure for more than 50 years. They gave a prison sentence to 23 percent of those sentenced for an indictable offense in 1999, a similar percentage to 1998 and marginally above 1997. The use of fines for indictable offenses declined markedly since 1989, when 40 percent of indictable sentences were fines, to stand at 27 percent in 1999. Community sentences were imposed in 29 percent of sentences for indictable offenses, a similar percentage to 1998. In the Crown Court, the proportion fell from 30 percent in 1995 to 27 percent in 1996, and then rose to 28 percent in 1997-1998 before falling to 27 percent in 1999. In magistrates' courts, the proportion was steady at 27-28 percent during 1994 and 1995, before increasing to 29 percent in 1996-1999. The proportion sentenced to probation or a Community Service Order (CSO) for indictable violence against the person offenses doubled between 1989 and 1999. For probation the proportion rose from 6 percent to 12 percent and for CSO's from 7 percent to 13 percent. Figures, tables, notes