Call For Sentencing Policy Review

A record number of people now behind bars in Scotland has led to a call for a rethink on sentencing policy. Last month there were 7,378 people in jail – a new high despite 15 years of falling crime rates.

Tony Cameron, who has retired as the Scottish Prison Service’s chief executive, said prison overcrowding gets in the way of rehabilitation work. Mr Cameron, who joined the service in 1999, believes more sentences should be carried out in the community.

He is particularly concerned about the number of prisoners serving short sentences with 83% in prison serving sentences of six months or less. Mr Cameron said the turnover of prisoners meant little rehabilitation work could be carried out. “Incarceration gets in the way of rehabilitation,” he said. “What I’d like to do is to increase the effectiveness and delivery of alternatives.”

Mr Cameron said it costs £40,000 every year – over £100 a day – to keep someone in prison. “Experts tell me similar programmes to the ones delivered in prison, carried out in the community, have a better effect,” he said. He added: “Not only are the living conditions [in prison] more crowded than they are designed for, staff are tied up managing the churn of population through the prisons.

“It’s a bit like a hospital trying to deal with more patients than it has beds for but they can put people on waiting lists, we can’t, therefore conditions inside deteriorate.”

Mr Cameron said programmes started in prison to address addictions or offending behaviour should be carried through into the community when a prisoner is released.

Last year 16,000 community sentences were handed out. New laws passed last month should help the situation but social workers said they now face almost 4,000 extra cases to deal with.

David Crawford, of the Association of Directors of Social Work (ADSW), said: “We recognise it will put pressure on frontline services. It will take time to ensure we have a skilled workforce. We’re building on a strong base but it’s a very significant expansion and will take time to put in place.”

He added: “I think there is universal agreement that short-term sentences are absolutely futile if what you’re trying to achieve is a reduction in re-offending. There just isn’t time for the prison service or anyone else to do proper work with people that is likely to change their behaviour.”

Last year, 40,000 people in Scotland were sent to jail. Half were remanded awaiting trial while the others were convicted and are serving a sentence.

The charity, Families Outside, said short sentences caused more problems than they solve. The charity does not oppose prison but said for many “old lags” a jail term is the easy option. It said serving a sentence in the community, and having to confront the reasons why they committed a crime in the first place is the more difficult option.