Think tank calls for ban on prison sentences of six months or less
A think tank has called for a ban on prison sentences of six months or less in Scotland.
Reform Scotland said only an outright ban on short sentences could bring about change in the justice system.
The organisation said the ban should extend to a year if automatic early release for short sentences remains in place.
The think tank highlighted that despite a presumption in the Scottish courts against sentences of three months or less imposed in 2010, nearly 30 per cent of all prison terms in 2015-16 fell into that category. Speaking ahead of the publication of a new report on prison reform, research director Alison Payne said: “The Scottish Prison Service itself has said that there are limited opportu- nities for rehabilitation during short sentences. Furthermore, the disruption of a short sentence, including loss of income and employment, and problems with childcare and family relationships, often makes the sentences disproportionate to the crime.”
The Scottish Conservatives said short-term sentences still had a role to play in the justice system. The party’s justice spokesman Liam Kerr said: “Our experienced, highly trained sheriffs use these punishments for a reason, and removing their ability to do so and indeed their discretion – where they feel the facts fit that sentence – would be wrong.”