Up to a half of offenders in breach of their conditions

Today's Criminal Justice Social Work statistics show an alarming percentage of Community Service Orders and Supervised Attendance Orders are breached. The numbers suggest that a third of Community Service Orders and around a half of Supervised Attendance Orders are breached.

In addition, it confirms that around 28% of the new Community Payback Orders are imposed with no work requirement whatsoever. While full data on CPO breaches is not yet available, in March of this year we heard that the first person to be handed a Community Payback Order had breached it.

David McLetchie MSP said:

"Today's statistics on Community Service Orders, Supervised Attendance Orders and Community Payback Orders make alarming reading.

"When Lawrence Winters became the first recipient of a Community Payback Order, we wondered whether someone with 98 convictions from 160 separate charges was the type of person the SNP had in mind for this programme. The fact he breached the Order is a total and utter humiliation for the SNP.

"The fact is the SNP Government has put in place policies designed to empty our jails and stop people who should be behind bars from doing time.

"We want community-based sentences which are credible, enforceable and command public confidence. Thanks to the SNP they are not – and people like Lawrence Winters are laughing at the system.

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