EVIDENCE SUPPORTS END TO SHORT SENTENCES

EVIDENCE SUPPORTS END TO SHORT SENTENCES

LABOUR AND TORIES MUST FACE FACTS – NOT PLAY POLITICS

Official figures released today show that people sent to jail on short sentences are more likely to re-offend than those on community service orders – supporting the Scottish Government’s commitment to reduce the use of short sentences and to increase the numbers of offenders on community payback orders.

The figures show 75% of those sentenced for less than 6 months re-offend within two years. In contrast a majority of those given a community sentence do not re-offend.

SNP MSP and member of the Scottish Parliament’s Justice Committee Angela Constance said;

“It is time opposition parties faced the facts and accepted that community service works.

“For too long prison policy has been driven by politicians clamouring to lock more and more people up instead of making our communities safer.

“These figures show quite clearly that locking people up on short sentences does not provide long term benefits for communities.

“Far more people are leaving their life of crime behind as a result of community service than through short term jail sentences. This is real justice delivering real results on our streets.

"The figures for women are particularly stark with only a quarter of women on community service re-offending as opposed to over half of those who had been jailed.

“Instead of cutting offending rates short term sentences are seeing people offend again and again, damaging communities across the country.

“There will always be a need for some people to be locked up but it is clear the Scottish Government’s proposals to increase the use of community punishments are the only way to address Scotland’s re-offending rates and make our communities safer.”

1. Only 42% of people undertaking community service orders re-offend within two years as opposed to 75% of those jailed for six months or less.

2. The rate of re-offending amongst women was halved if the women had been sentenced to community service (26% within two years), as opposed to a jail sentence (56% within two years)