Justice Social Work Statistics in Scotland: 2023-24 – Part 2

Key Points

• The number of justice social work reports submitted (including supplementary reports) rose by five per cent between 2022-23 and 2023-24 to 27,900. This was around the same level as the years immediately prior to the pandemic.
• There were 15,100 community payback orders (CPOs) commenced in 2023-24. This was three per cent up on 2022-23 but was the fourth lowest in the last decade. From 2014-15 to 2019-20, annual numbers ranged from 16,500 to 19,500.
• In 2023-24, 68.0 per cent of CPOs were issued with an unpaid work requirement. Slightly more (68.2 per cent) were issued with a supervision requirement.
• The average hours given as part of CPO unpaid work requirements increased from 127 hours in 2018-19 to 135 hours in 2023-24. The 2023-24 average was the highest in the last ten years.
• The successful completion rate for CPOs in 2023-24 was 71 per cent.
• Since the introduction of CPOs, 11.6 million hours of unpaid work or other activity have been carried out as part of successful unpaid work requirements.
• The number of CPOs in existence increased from 16,600 on 31 March 2023 to the highest level in the last six years, of 17,400 on 31 March 2024.
• There were 280 drug treatment and testing orders (DTTOs) imposed in 2023-24. This was an eight per cent fall from 300 in 2022-23 and the second lowest in the last ten years.
• The successful completion rate for DTTOs in 2023-24 was 51 per cent.
• Seventy-five per cent of all DTTOs which finished in 2023-24 had no breach applications.