Justice reforms could see more offenders avoiding jail

A new justice system shake up may see offenders serving sentences out on the streets rather than behind bars, The Herald reports.

Scotland’s current prison population is one of the largest in Western Europe and there are increasing calls for the current presumption against sentences of up to three months to be increased to 12 months.

A shift to 12 months is backed by a various groups, including penal reform charities, councils, social workers and a former director of judicial studies, according to a new Scottish government consultation.

Eighty-five per cent of respondents in the Scottish government consultation backed the extension of the provision which came into force in 2010.

Although the majority, 84 per cent, favoured setting the extension of the presumption at one year, there were numerous concerns raised over any move to provide more lenient sentences for perpetrators of crimes such as domestic abuse.

Justice Secretary Michael Matheson has not yet made clear the policies he will adopt in attempting to create “the most progressive justice system in Europe”.

Lib Democrat MSP Liam McArthur said: “When Michael Matheson agreed to scrap the new prison at Inverclyde the response demonstrated there is widespread support for switching to an evidence-based approach to cutting reoffending and improving rehabilitation. But that was just the first step.

“The justice secretary must work with others to modernise Scotland’s old-fashioned prison system.”

The International Centre For Prison Studies recently released figures showing that Scotland’s incarceration rate is 143 per 100,000 people. Despite being slightly lower than that of England and Wales, this figure is excessive by Western European standards.

A spokesman for the Scottish government said it remained committed to reducing short-term sentences where appropriate.