Statistical Bulletin - Reconviction Rates in Scotland: 2007-08 and 2008-09 Offender Cohorts

2 Key points

• The two year reconviction rate for the 2007-08 cohort is 1.7 percentage points lower than that of the previous year (42.4 compared to 44.1 per cent for 2006-07) ( Chart 1 and Table 17). The two year reconviction rate has changed relatively little since 1997-98, fluctuating between 42.4 and 45.3 per cent.
• Over the past seven years there has been a decline in the one year reconviction rate. In 2002-03 the one year reconviction rate was 32.9 per cent, whereas in 2008-09 it is 31.0 per cent; a reduction of 1.9 percentage points. Over the same time period there has been a reduction in reconviction frequency rate from 63.9 to 57.9; a reduction of 6 reconvictions for every 100 offenders ( Table 1).
• Over time, there has been a marked fall in the number of reconvictions for the under 21 age group. In 1997-98 this group had a reconviction frequency rate of 93.4 and in 2008-09 the reconviction frequency rate is 70.3; over eleven years a fall of just over 23 reconvictions for every 100 young offenders ( Table 2).
• Between 2006-07 and 2008-09 there has been a slight decline in the reconviction frequency rate for those female offenders who are aged 25 and under ( Table 4 and Chart 5), whereas during the same period there has been a slight increase in the reconviction frequency rate for those aged 26 and over.
• Over time there has been a decline in the reconviction frequency rate for those offenders who were given a Drug Treatment and Testing Order ( DTTO). In 2002-03 the one year reconviction frequency rate was 240.6 and in 2008-09 the rate is 162.3, representing a reduction of nearly 80 reconvictions for every 100 DTTO offenders over a six year period ( Table 5). Offenders given a DTTO have the highest reconviction frequency rate compared to other disposals.
• Offenders who commit a crime of dishonesty have the highest reconviction frequency rate compared to those who commit other crimes, and offenders who commit a sexual crime have the lowest reconviction frequency rate. In 2008-09, the reconviction frequency rate is 101.3 for offenders who committed crimes of dishonesty and 18.2 for offenders who committed a sexual crime ( Table 6).
• Offenders who were released from a custodial sentence of 3 months or less have the highest reconviction frequency rate compared to those who were released from longer sentences. The reconviction frequency rate for those released from a sentence of 3 months or less is 135.3. This compares with a reconviction frequency rate of 71.5 for those released from a sentence of 6 months to 2 years. Over time there is some evidence of a reduction in the reconviction frequency rate. In five years, there has been a reduction of nearly 16 reconvictions for every 100 offenders who served a sentence of less than 3 months ( Table 7).
• In 2008-09, 76.9 per cent of police disposals were anti social behaviour fixed penalty notices and 28.5 per cent of offenders who were given these disposals were given another non-court disposal within one year ( Table 19).
• In 2008-09, 57.3 per cent of Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal disposals were fiscal fines and 25.6 per cent of offenders who were given these disposals were given another non-court disposal within one year ( Table 20).