The “scandalous” scale of absenteeism by offenders due to carry out community payback orders is laid bare today in figures obtained by the Scottish Conservatives.
Responses to Freedom of Information requests by the party show that 104,862 instances of absence were recorded over the last five years by councils monitoring criminals carrying out community sentences.
However, the true tally across Scotland is almost certainly considerably higher – as only 15 of the 32 local authorities provided the requested data. Of the remaining councils, one failed to respond and the rest said they did not collect this data – despite guidance from the SNP Government stating that all absences should be recorded on an offender’s case file.
Of the 100,000-plus absences between 2018/19 and 2022/23, over a third – 37,582 – were deemed to be “unacceptable”.
Shadow justice secretary Jamie Greene says the figures are a further “insult” to victims of crime by an SNP Government which has already written off hundreds of thousands of hours of community sentencing work.
He has urged new SNP justice secretary Angela Constance to finally put an end to the SNP’s soft-touch approach, put victims first and ensure that cash-strapped local authorities have every resource they need to crack down on these absences.
Scottish Conservative shadow justice secretary Jamie Greene MSP, said: “These figures are scandalous and unacceptable – and yet they do not even tell half the story when it comes to absences among those meant to be carrying out community sentences.
“It is yet another example of the SNP’s soft-touch justice approach in action. Not only have SNP ministers been content to write off hundreds of thousands of hours of payback orders, now an eye-watering level of absenteeism among criminals has been exposed.
“It makes a mockery of the justice system when criminals are effectively being given the green light to be absent from community sentences, which, in many cases, are considered lenient in the first place.
“These absences are an insult to victims. They expect this work to be carried out, yet in so many cases offenders are not bothering to turn up at all.
“Community sentencing is failing victims at every turn on the SNP’s watch. The new SNP justice secretary must finally put victims first, as well as ensuring our cash-strapped councils are given every resource they need to tackle absenteeism.
“Questions must also be asked as to why half of Scotland’s local authorities are not recording this data when government guidance clearly states they should be. Their failure to do so means that the true number of absences will be significantly higher.”
Notes
A spreadsheet collating the responses of Scotland’s councils is attached. Only 15 councils gave responses – the rest did not have the data centrally collected despite guidance saying it should be recorded.
Councils have recorded over 100,000 incidents of absences from offenders carrying out Community Payback Orders in the last five years. Despite only 15 councils providing responses, there were 104,862 incidents of absence recorded for the financial years 2018-19 through to 2022-23. Of the remaining councils, one did not respond and the rest said they did not collect data, despite Scottish Government guidance stating that an offender’s case file must record ‘a record of all acceptable and non-acceptable absences’. (Various FOI Responses, Available on request; Community Payback Order Guidance, 25 January 2019, link).
More than a third of the absences were considered ‘unacceptable’. In total, the councils who responded recorded 37,582 unacceptable absences from offenders who were completing Community Payback Orders between 2018-19 and 2022-23. This represents 36% of all absences (Various FOI Responses, Available on request).
Humza Yousaf wrote off over a quarter of a million hours-worth of unpaid community work given to criminals back in 2021. Then-justice secretary Humza Yousaf announced the move by saying: ‘While I acknowledge that some may have concerns, I can assure victims of crime and others that the justice system continues to hold those who commit offences to account. This proportionate measure will help address the unavoidable build-up of unpaid work resulting from essential public health restrictions, while ensuring that those on community orders still serve the majority of their sentences.’ There was a total cut of 262,153 hours to unpaid work hours issued as part of Community Payback Orders, a community disposal designed to be an alternative to prison. Glasgow and Fife Councils were subject to the biggest cut. (Press and Journal, 30 August 2021, link; Scottish Government, 28 January 2021, link).