An article examined the background to the Scottish Executive consultation on its strategy to reduce re-offending. It outlined the proposed changes and suggested how these could lead to more effective criminal justice social work services.
Source: James Maybee, 'Reducing re-offending and structural change in the delivery of criminal justice social work in Scotland', Probation Journal, Volume 53 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Dec
A report by a committee of MSPs welcomed a Bill to end the existing system of automatic - and often unconditional - early release of offenders, and to ensure that offenders were subject to restrictions for their entire sentence. But it called for further clarification on a number of issues, particularly relating to the management of sentences.
Source: Stage 1 Report on the Custodial Sentences and Weapons (Scotland) Bill, 16th Report 2006, SP Paper 701, Scottish Parliament Justice 2 Committee, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report | SP press release
Date: 2006-Dec
A report by a committee of MSPs said that high-risk sex offenders who failed to co-operate with the relevant authorities on matters of significance should have their details provided to local communities and made more widely available on the internet.
Source: Justice System (Child-Sex Offenders), Scottish Parliament Justice 2 Committee, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report | SP press release
Date: 2006-Dec
Scotland's Chief Inspector of Prisons reported that the prison population had yet again reached record levels. He identified 'nine evils' of overcrowding, and complained about lack of action to remedy the situation.
Source: HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland: Annual Report 2005-2006, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report | SE press release | BBC report
Date: 2006-Nov
The number of offences in Scotland reported by the police which had a religious aggravation increased by 55 per cent between June-December 2003 and June-December 2004.
Source: Kathleen Doyle, Use of Section 74 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003: Religiously Aggravated Reported Crime - An 18 month review, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report | SE press release
Date: 2006-Nov
The Scottish Executive published a Bill to end the existing system of automatic - and often unconditional - early release of offenders, and to ensure that offenders were subject to restrictions for their entire sentence.
Source: Custodial Sentences and Weapons (Scotland) Bill, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Policy memorandum | SE press release
Date: 2006-Oct
A report made recommendations designed to prevent young people in Scotland from offending and coming into the youth justice system. It said that there was no single solution to reducing offending; a wide range of family, community, and individual approaches was needed.
Source: Report of the Youth Justice Improvement Group: Proposals for action, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report | SE response | SE press release | Young People Now report
Date: 2006-Oct
A literature review examined the provision of support to victims and witnesses of crime in Scotland. All of the main forms of support which were seen to be required were provided to some extent, though there were some gaps.
Source: Reid Howie Associates, Provision of Support to Victims and Witnesses of Crime in Scotland, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Date: 2006-Sep
The Scottish Executive published a Bill to criminalize the nuisance caused by those who purchased sex on the streets.
Source: Prostitution (Public Places) (Scotland) Bill, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Policy memorandum | SE press release
Date: 2006-Sep
An article examined recent major developments in key areas of criminal justice policy in Scotland, and the reasons why there had been greater convergence with policy south of the border than might have been expected.
Source: Hazel Croall, 'Criminal justice in post-devolutionary Scotland', Critical Social Policy, Volume 26 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Aug
The Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act received Royal assent. The Act gave police additional powers to tackle knife crime, football violence, and drug-related crime; prevent the anti-social use of fireworks; and identify suspects more effectively.
Source: Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2006, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Text of Act
Date: 2006-Jul
A report by a committee of MSPs welcomed proposals contained in the Criminal Proceedings etc. (Reform) (Scotland) Bill, aimed at reforming the summary justice system, and the system governing bail and remand. But it called for the Scottish Executive to adopt a "radical approach" to find out why some individuals failed to attend court hearings, and raised concerns about how the criminal justice system would cope with the number of reforms being proposed.
Source: Criminal Proceedings etc. (Reform) (Scotland) Bill, 10th Report 2006, SP Paper 621, Scottish Parliament Justice 1 Committee, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report | SP press release | BBC report
Date: 2006-Jul
A report examined the buying and selling of heroin within three areas in Scotland. It described the nature of the markets, the impact of heroin dealing on local communities, and the effectiveness of interventions aimed at tackling heroin dealing and associated harms.
Source: Richard Cyster and Simon Rowe, Low-Level Heroin Markets: A case study approach, Scottish Executive (0131 556 8400)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Jul
The Scottish Executive announced that the system for automatically releasing short-term offenders from prison without restrictions was to be scrapped. It would be replaced with a new regime under which all offenders would be under restrictions for their entire sentence.
Source: Release and Post Custody Management of Offenders, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report | SE press release | BBC report
Date: 2006-Jun
Four linked reports were published from a study of youth transitions and crime, which followed a cohort of around 4,300 young people who started secondary schools in Edinburgh in the autumn of 1998. Involvement in delinquent behaviour was associated with living in neighbourhoods that were characterized by higher levels of deprivation. But deprivation at the individual or family level had no significant effect.
Source: Susan McVie and Paul Norris, Neighbourhood Effects on Youth Delinquency and Drug Use, Centre for Law and Society/University of Edinburgh | Susan McVie and Paul Norris, The Effect of Neighbourhoods on Adolescent Property Offending, Centre for Law and Society/University of Edinburgh | David Smith, Social Inclusion and Early Desistance from Crime, Centre for Law and Society/University of Edinburgh | David Smith, School Experience and Delinquency at Ages 13 to 16, Centre for Law and Society/University of Edinburgh (0116 252 5950)
Links: Report 1 | Report 2 | Report 3 | Report 4 | CLS press release | Young People Now report
Date: 2006-Jun
The Scottish Executive published the first national strategy for offender management. The strategy contained a set of common aims and expected outcomes, centred on increased public protection and delivering a consistent approach to managing offenders in prison and in the community.
Source: Reducing Reoffending: National strategy for the management of offenders, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Strategy | SE press release
Date: 2006-May
An article described the views of women street prostitutes in Scotland of their work, their reasons for working, their views as to the impact of their work on their lives, and whether it would be beneficial to provide tolerance zones to enable them to work without fear of prosecution.
Source: Neil McKeganey, 'Street prostitution in Scotland: the views of working women', Drugs: Education, Prevention & Policy, Volume 13 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-May
A report expressed concern about the availability in Scotland of specialist legal service practitioners in family law, housing debt, welfare, consumer law, and in rural areas.
Source: Report by the Research Working Group on the Legal Services Market in Scotland, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report | SE press release
Date: 2006-May
An evaluation report said that professionals were cautiously optimistic that drug court pilots in Scotland were proving effective in addressing drug use and associated offending behaviour.
Source: Gill McIvor et al., The Operation and Effectiveness of the Scottish Drug Court Pilots, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Mar
The Scottish Executive began consultation on proposals to unify Scotland's judges and sheriffs into a single judicial organization, led by a Lord President with enhanced powers and responsibilities.
Source: Strengthening Judicial Independence in a Modern Scotland: A consultation on the unification, appointment, removal and management of Scotland s judiciary, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Consultation document | SE press release
Date: 2006-Feb
The Scottish Executive published a Bill proposing a range of measures aimed at improving the management and operation of the lower (non-jury) courts.
Source: Criminal Proceedings etc (Reform) (Scotland) Bill, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Policy memorandum | SE press release
Date: 2006-Feb
An official review report examined the structure and governance of the Scottish Court Service.
Source: Douglas Osler, Agency Review of the Scottish Court Service, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Feb
An article summarized the findings of a qualitative study of pre-sentence reports in Scotland. Policy development had been predicated on the view that higher-quality reports would help to 'sell' community penalties to the principal consumers of such reports (judges). The research suggested that, in the daily use and interpretation of reports, this quality-led policy agenda was defeated by a discourse of judicial 'ownership' of sentencing.
Source: Cyrus Tata, Nicola Burns, Simon Halliday, Neil Hutton and Fergus McNeill, 'Assisting and advising the sentencing decision process: the pursuit of 'quality' in pre-sentence reports', British Journal of Criminology, Volume 48 Number 6
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Jan
Researchers evaluated in-court advice pilots in Scotland. The in-court advice services were seen to be well placed to meet unmet legal need for people involved in court proceedings. Demand for the services was high, and there were high levels of satisfaction with it. The pilot clients were largely local authority tenants, and those with housing cases involving debt and other financial and social problems (such as health and family problems).
Source: Sue Morris, Patsy Richards, Eddie Richards and Claire Lightowler, Uniquely Placed: Evaluation of the in-court advice pilots (Phase 1), Scottish Executive (web publication only)
Date: 2006-Jan
An independent report examined the arrangements for early release of prisoners in Scotland. It proposed a new regime for those sentenced to terms of more than 12 months, involving the offender serving the whole of a minimum period, fixed by the court, in jail. A separate regime would apply to those sentenced to custodial terms of 12 months or less, involving discretionary release from prison on electronically-monitored home detention curfew after not less than half the term had been served.
Source: Early Release from Prison and Supervision of Prisoners on their Release, Sentencing Commission for Scotland (0131 244 3228)
Links: Report | SE press release
Date: 2006-Jan
