Longest jail sentences for 10 years but fewer offenders are locked up

Published on Tuesday 25 January 2011 12:30

PRISON sentences have risen to their longest in a decade as crime continues to fall, new figures have revealed.

However, fewer people are being sent to prison as the courts look to make greater use of community punishments.

This trend is expected to continue as a presumption against sentences of three months or less is introduced this month, with offenders, instead, handed community payback orders.

The average sentence handed down by the courts for serious crimes is now nine months - more than double the level they were in 2005-6.

The Crime and Justice Series: Criminal Proceedings in Scotland, 2009-10, report revealed that there were 380,000 serious crimes recorded in Scotland in 2009-10, including murder, rape and serious assault - a fifth lower than in 2000-1.

Police solved nearly half of all serious recorded crimes last year, compared with 44 per cent in 2000-1.

The Scottish Government has put an extra 1,000 officers on the beat and promised to maintain this despite police forces facing cuts of 2.6 per cent per year, which will put pressure on their ability to maintain crime prevention and detection levels.

Justice secretary Kenny MacAskill said: "This report is further evidence of the strong progress being made in Scotland's justice system through a record number of police officers on the streets, with recorded crime down to its lowest level in 32 years, homicide rates down to their lowest in 31 years, knife crime down to its lowest level in ten years, and criminals now being punished through the longest prison sentences in a decade."

He added: "The courts are sending out a clear message that if you commit serious crimes, you will be punished and you will face a lengthy prison sentence.

"The statistics we have seen this year show Scotland is becoming safer - crime is down, fear of crime is down, the number of people carrying out crime is down, and those that do break the law are being punished swiftly."

However, Scottish Labour and Conservatives have both criticised the abolition of short sentences, introduced by the Scottish Government with the support of Liberal Democrats, and they accused the SNP of being soft on crime.

Richard Baker, Scottish Labour justice spokesman, said: "The current community sentencing regime is on its knees and yet the justice minister and Alex Salmond want to push even more offenders through it, even when they know that 40 per cent of offenders won't even do an hour of their order."

John Lamont, Scottish Conservatives' justice spokesman, added: "It can be no coincidence that crime is falling at a time when police numbers are at record highs - thanks to Scottish Conservatives forcing 1,000 extra police on the SNP government as a budget concession."However, the SNP must not undo this hard-won achievement, which is why it is so wrong for them to press ahead with plans to scrap short sentences.

"The public must have confidence in the sentencing policy, which is why they might be surprised at some of the disposals handed out by the courts.

"It is, however, right that the judiciary retains the final say in each case, which is why jail must always be an option to the sheriff or judge."