£3.2m to strengthen remand alternatives

Alternatives to remand are to be boosted with £3.2m of funding for community justice services

This funding, which will go to all local authorities, will enhance bail assessment and supervision.

It will also support the introduction of electronic monitoring of bail – providing a new capability for monitoring bail curfew.

The move supports the Scottish Government’s drive to shift the use of custody, especially short term imprisonment, to greater use of community justice interventions.

Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans Keith Brown said:

“We are transforming the way we view and deliver justice and increasing the availability of alternatives to remand across all parts of Scotland is a key part of that.

“This funding is intended to help ensure that bail supervision is available in all parts of Scotland and that bail assessments, for bail supervision and electronically monitored bail, are being consistently undertaken at increased levels in every court.

“This is smart, compassionate justice that recognises the effectiveness of community justice interventions in protecting people affected by crime and supporting the administration of justice.

“I am committed to delivering improvements which will keep our communities safer, further reduce the number of victims of crime and lead to better outcomes for everyone.”

Background

The additional money comes from £15 million of coronavirus-related funding for 2022-23 for community justice, supporting the recovery, renewal and transformation of Scotland's justice system in line with the recently published vision for Scotland’s justice sector. This makes clear that while prison will always be needed for the most serious offences, there is a need to provide greater access to community justice alternatives which are effective in promoting rehabilitation and reducing offending.

The justice sector is set to benefit from total investment of over £3.1 billion in 2022-23 to strengthen and reform vital services. A consultation on Bail and Release from Custody arrangements – which recently closed - will shape discussion about how custody should be used in a modern, progressive Scotland.

The Vision for Justice was debated in Parliament on 8 February, 2022 and will enable a programme of work to transform the justice system.

The Scottish Government has committed to investment in a substantial expansion of community justice services supporting diversion from prosecution, alternatives to remand, and community sentencing, which evidence shows is more effective at reducing reoffending. In 2021-22, the Scottish Government provided an additional £11.8m to support community justice services in recovering from the pandemic and that will increase to £15m in 2022-23, with some specific investment in relation to alternatives to remand. In addition to around £119m of continuing funding, this will help build capacity and resilience to support a sustainable recovery, contribute to the expansion and transformation of community justice services.