‘Proper payback instead of prison is no cheap option’

JOANNE MAYOR’S criminal record demonstrates the failure of both community sentences and short prison terms.

The 35-year-old was recently branded “a burden on the state” for her appalling reoffending.

She has racked up 121 convictions covering a total of 212 offences.

Mayor, who has a teenage daughter, has been handed around 50 prison sentences of less than six months since 2003.

An officer at Barlinnie Prison in Glasgow, one of the jails where ministers want to end short sentences. in 2015/ 16, with 11,195 offenders sentenced to 12 months or less in the same year.

Courts will be issued guidance that presumption should be for a community-based sentence first.

There has been some concern those guilty of serious crimes, including robbery, could be spared jail under the new regime.

Mo re than 1 2 Co m m u n i t y Payback Orders were revoked every day last year, according to the latest Scottish Government figures.

Sheriffs have dished out 16 prison sentences of six months or more – but only one of these was for longer than 12 months.

In December 2010, she was given 18 months for theft while already on bail for a previous crime, while in October 2015, she was handed 11 months and five months for shoplifting.

The former private schoolgirl has convictions for fraud, breach of the peace, wasting police time, driving offences, assault, drugs,

Around a third of the breaches resulted in the criminal being jailed, but 28% simply had a new order imposed, while “another outcome” was found for 23%.

One sheriff told The Sunday Post: “Waiting times for community sentences are lengthy, and with current resources, simply could not cope with an expansion.”

And Ju s t i c e S e c re t a r y M r Matheson said: “The evidence is clear – community sentences are more effective than short prison culpable and reckless conduct, housebreaking, and breaching probation and community service.

Mayor, who has repeatedly struggled with heroin addiction and is currently living in a homeless unit in Perth, was back in court last month to admit a spate of thefts.

Deferring sentence, Sheriff William Wood of Perth Sheriff Court said: “You are a burden on the state because you keep stealing things.

“The courts would be keen sentences. Individuals released from a custodial sentence of 12 months or less are reconvicted nearly twice as often as those who are given a Community Payback Order.”

The Sunday Post asked to speak to Karyn McCluskey, chief executive of Community Justice Scotland, the quango promoting community justice, but got no response. to see you turn yourself around and avoid being sent back to prison.

“We will see if a community-based disposal can be imposed at this stage and if that doesn’t work you know where you will end up again.”

She was previously jailed for 180 days for buying drugs on her way back from a meeting with her drug counsellor.

Burden: Joanne Mayor.

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