PAYBACK ORDERS HELP COMMUNITIES

WHEN considering how best to deal with those who have committed offences, decisions on individual cases are rightly made independently by prosecutors and the courts.

Prison will always be needed for those who pose a risk of serious harm but we need to recognise that imprisonment is damaging to individuals, families and communities. And evidence shows that short-term sentences, in particular, are counter-productive.

For many within our criminal justice system, community sentences are more likely to cut reoffending than short prison sentences. Individuals released from a custodial sentence of 12 months or less are reconvicted nearly twice as often as those on Community Payback Orders (CPOs). They help prevent further crime, keep our communities safer and give something tangible to affected communities through unpaid work. They also help stop reoffending by tackling the issues that led to crime being committed.

Last year, I visited an unpaid work project at Dollar Park, in Falkirk, which has brought lasting benefits to the local community.

What struck me most was the pride the people on the CPOs took in their work. Many still visit the park and some have gone on to study for formal qualifications.

This is one of hundreds of projects being undertaken by unpaid work teams and individuals, families and communities are benefitting.

We also need to reconsider the support available to people leaving prison to prevent them reoffending. That’s why we are consulting on changes to the law governing bail and remand, and how release from prison operates.

The consultation, on the Scottish Government’s website, closes on February 7 and I would urge as many people as possible to give us their views.