SNP to axe jail sentences of less than a year by end of 2018
ROBBERS, wife-beaters and even some attempted murderers will be able to avoid jail by the end of next year.
Nationalist ministers yesterday confirmed they plan to see through their plan to axe prison sentences of less than a year by the end of 2018 in a massive expansion of soft touch justice.
Justice Secretary Michael Matheson told MSPs that there will be a significant increase in use of community sentences and electronic tagging.
He also confirmed the first two ‘community custody units’ for female prisoners – which will allow criminals to stay in facilities built to look like flats – will be created in Maryhill in Glasgow and Dundee.
Mr Matheson claimed the public support axing short jail sentences because a majority of people responding to the Scottish Government’s consultation on the issue were in favour.
But a Scottish Daily Mail poll showed that 45 per cent of Scots oppose the move, while only 30 per cent back it and 17 per cent neither support nor oppose it.
At Holyrood yesterday, Mr Matheson defended the robustness of community sentences, but critics hit back saying many Community Payback Orders are never completed.
Liam Kerr, Scottish Conservative justice spokesman, said: ‘Once again the SNP have shown they would rather empty prisons than keep the public safe.
‘As early as next year judges will have their hands tied, and we’ve seen already that criminals who may have committed as serious as homicide and sexual assault could escape a jail term.
‘It is difficult to understand how the Cabinet Secretary can call the current system “robust”, and “effective” when a third of Community Payback Orders are never completed, and some offenders are waiting over a year for their work placement to begin.
‘The Cabinet Secretary must ensure there is adequate work and purposeful activity in prisons – and reverse his government’s 300,000 hours cut in the last two years.’
Mr Matheson claimed that spending time in prison for short periods is wrong because it can ‘disrupt families’ and damage job prospects.
He said: ‘We know short prison sentences do little to rehabilitate people, or to reduce the likelihood of their reoffending.
‘We know that short-term imprisonment disrupts families and communities, and adversely affects employment opportunicrimes ties and stable housing – the very things evidence shows support desistence from offending.’
Mr Matheson said he wanted the justice system to ‘have a stronger emphasis on robust community sentences that focus on addressing the causes of offending behaviour’.
He added: ‘The Government believes that extending the presumption is in line with our progressive approach to criminal justice policy. More than that, in concert with our ongoing approach to delivering safer and stronger communities, it is about being the progressive and socially inclusive nation we want to be.’
Mr Matheson said that the proposed Domestic Abuse Bill would ensure courts considered the need to protect victims from further offences when sentencing.
Developments in electronic monitoring would also help to improve the safety of women and children affected by domestic abuse while a new body, Community Justice Scotland, would aim to raise awareness of the benefits of community sentences.
Labour’s Clare Baker said the presumption would be a hard sell to victims of crime.
She said: ‘The Cabinet Secretary will need to work hard to convince the public of the merits of his argument, particularly those who have been victims of crimes that are often very distressing and even life-changing.’
‘SNP would rather empty prisons’