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Funding to deliver speedier community penalties
24/10/2008
Offenders sentenced to community service should be placed more quickly thanks to additional funding announced today.
An extra £1 million pounds has been allocated to allow councils to recruit more staff to improve the delivery of Community Service Orders.
The Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill made the announcement during a visit, with Councillor Harry McGuigan, Cosla Convenor, Community Well Being and Safety Group, to the disability resource centre in Paisley which has benefited from a new path and garden provided by people undertaking community payback work.
Mr MacAskill said:
"Low level offenders should be paying back the harm they have caused to communities through the sweat of their brow. Taxpayers shouldn't have to foot the bill for their free bed and board in prison.
"This garden and path for disabled people is a great example of the practical difference and real benefits to local communities that community payback can provide.
"I believe tough community penalties are key to having a more coherent penal policy - where the punishment fits the crime. To make them as effective as possible they need to be delivered swiftly and consistently.
"The extra funding will allow extra staff to be employed and help make sure offenders sentenced to community payback aren't waiting for a placement to become available. This funding will help make sure they can start paying back more quickly."
COSLA Community Wellbeing and Safety Spokesperson Councillor Harry McGuigan said:
"I welcome the announcement of additional funding towards the delivery of Community Service Orders from Community Justice Authorities where they provide a real focus on payback tailored to the needs of the community as well as the offender.
"Moreover, investment in community based sentences is vital to enhance public confidence in the criminal justice system and these are best delivered by local partnerships to ensure the effective provision of services that will positively affect behaviours of offenders and help to reassurance the communities concerned."
The Scottish Government will provide an extra £1 million in 2009/10 to Community Justice Authorities to allow local authorities within their areas to recruit additional staff. This will allow councils to ensure that offenders start their community service orders more quickly and for orders to be completed in a shorter timeframe. .
The funding forms part of the ringfenced budget provided to Community Justice Authorities for the delivery of criminal justice social work services within their areas.
The Scottish Government in conjunction with Cosla will audit performance levels before and after the new resources take effect to allow the impact of the extra funding to be assessed.