Justice Social Work Statistics in Scotland: 2023-24 – Part 1

7 Structured deferred sentences

( Tables 1, 7 & 8 )

Key statistics for 2023-24:

• Numbers commenced at highest level of 1,400 in 2023-24 since first collection in 2018-19.
• In 2023-24, 67 per cent of SDS commenced were for males.
• Those over the age of 40 accounted for the highest proportion (29 per cent).
• Where employment status was known, nearly 60 per cent were unemployed.

Structured deferred sentences (SDS) offer courts the option to provide a short period of intensive supervision to individuals post-conviction but before final sentencing. Justice social work will identify those cases which may be suitable for consideration in a justice social work report. SDS offers the opportunity to engage individuals in initial supportive interventions without the need for statutory supervision. The court can then be better informed of the need for further interventions when the person returns to court for sentencing.

After falling sharply to 450 in the first pandemic year of 2020-21, the number of SDS imposed in Scotland rose in each of the next three years, reaching its highest level of 1,400 in 2023-24.

Thirty-one per cent of SDS had a length of less than three months in 2023-24. A further 40 per cent were for at least three months and less than six months. The remaining 29 per cent were for six months or more.

There were 1,300 SDS which finished during 2023-24. In 38 per cent of these, the person was admonished. A further 18 per cent were issued with a community payback order. Figures on outcomes by local authority area are in the additional justice social work datasets which accompany this publication. As well as judicial decision making, different outcomes may reflect the fact that SDS are not all used in the same way by different local authorities.