Move away from short jail terms planned

An order has been published to extend the presumption against short prison sentences from three months to a year in an attempt to break the cycle of reoffending.

The Scottish Government say it is a move away from “ineffective” shortterm prison sentences.

It has published an affirmative order which, subject to parliamentary approval, will come into force in summer and extend the existing presumption from three months to 12.

The government said people released from a sentence of a year or under are nearly twice as likely to be convicted again compared to offenders sentenced to a community payback order.

Community Safety Minister Ash Den ham said: “Clearly, prison remains the right option for those who pose a serious risk to public safety and sentencing decisions will remain a matter for the independent judiciary.

“However, we want to ensure courts consider the most appropriate sentence in all cases and imprison people only when there is no suitable alternative.

“Disruptive and counter- productive short prison sentences often lead to homelessness, unemployment and family breakdown, making it harder for people to reintegrate on release.”