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New Measures
Outlined in The Scottish Executive’s Criminal Justice Plan
 New
measures outlined in the Scottish Executive’s Criminal Justice Plan can help
reduce Scotland’s high re-offending rate says Allan Wilson MSP.
Figures show that at present six out of ten prisoners are reconvicted within
two years of their release from prison. The new plan will compel the
Scottish Prison Service and local authority social work departments to work
together to reduce re-offending. It will also see an increase in electronic
tagging and other community sentences.
Allan Wilson the Labour MSP for Cunninghame North said:
“It is clear that the re-offending rate in Scotland has to be tackled.
However, the simplistic notion of looking to prison and the deterrent of a
custodial sentence to stop re-offending has been shown to fail time and time
again. There is no doubt that prison is the right option for many offenders,
however we need to get smart and recognise that prison is not the only
option.”
“We also need to vastly improve the rehabilitation services that we
currently provide both inside and outside prison. There is a real need to
ensure that the Scottish Prison Service and local authorities work closely
together. The new Criminal Justice Plan will enable a far more integrated
system and help improve the delivery of rehabilitation carried out both
within prison and in the community.”
Launching the Plan Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson said:
"There are no simple or easy solutions to tackling crime and offending in
Scotland. However, I am clear that locking up offenders for short periods of
time, and releasing them back into the community without action to address
their behaviour, is not the answer.
"Creating a safer Scotland cannot be achieved solely through strong, visible
frontline policing or the deterrent of prison. We also need a joined-up
approach across our criminal justice services that focus on reducing
re-offending.”
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