Coronavirus (COVID-19): Justice Analytical Services data report - August 2021

Summary

This pack provides information on the impact of COVID-19 on the Justice system during August 2021.

Data has been gathered from a number of different sources and may be subject to future revision.

Public compliance

This pack includes information on COVID-19 related interventions undertaken by Police Scotland. In addition to this, information on the public's compliance with measures to help restrict the spread of COVID-19 is collected from surveys of the population. Findings from these surveys can be found in the Public attitudes to Coronavirus: March Update.

Three quarters of respondents agreed that the best thing to do is to follow the government's advice. This has remained high and stable through January and February. However, those stating they had engaged in a non-compliant activity has risen from the start of January (23% to 33%).

Police activity

• The number of crimes recorded in August 2021 was lower than that in both August 2020 and August 2019.
• Weekly Police recorded incident numbers have been generally lower in August 2021, compared to August 2020.
• The number of Domestic Abuse incidents recorded by the Police in August 2021 was lower than the level seen in August 2020, but higher than in August 2019.
• The use of Police COVID-19 interventions decreased in August 2021.

Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), Courts & Prisons

• Custody reports received by COPFS remain consistently below pre-pandemic levels and undertaking reports remain consistently above pre-pandemic levels.
• Subjects marked for court by COPFS remain below pre-pandemic levels, driven by a decrease in summary court markings.

• Initiations in the civil court remain below 19-20 levels, while disposals have almost returned to 19-20 levels.
• Prison populations initially decreased as court business abated.
• The number of prisoners on remand subsequently rose to its current, historically high, level.

The prison population has stabilised at its highest level since November 2020