Lamont: Community service workers should be put to use combating big freeze

Scottish Conservatives are calling for criminals on community service to be put to work tackling the effects of the latest big freeze and for the SNP Government to tell us how many have already been drafted in.

John Lamont MSP, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Justice, said:

"Last year, it was revealed that only 250 of the 2,500 criminals available for community service have been given snow-clearing duties. That is not good enough and the SNP Government has to do much better this year.

"If community sentences are to have an increased role to play in our justice system as the SNP Government intends then they must be seen to be an effective and worthwhile alternative to prison.

"At the moment, because of the adverse weather conditions, the state of far too many of Scotland's pavements is downright dangerous and many elderly people in particular are frightened to leave their homes at this time. It would make sense for those criminals who have been sentenced by the courts to repay their debt to society through community service, to be put to work in clearing the snow and ice.

"The SNP Government must tell us how many people on community service orders have been drafted in to help with this work and how many are out today. Not only would it make our streets safer but at the same time it would do much for the credibility of community service sentences, as there is still huge scepticism about their effectiveness."

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