9 Statutory Throughcare ( TC), Voluntary Assistance ( VA) and Throughcare Addiction Service ( TAS)
(Tables 1 & 23 to 29, Chart 8 & Chart 9)
9.1 A total of 5,400 individuals were subject to Statutory Throughcare (in the community and in custody) as at 31 March 2009, an increase of 1 per cent from the 5,300 such individuals the previous year ( Table 1 and Table 23). Of these individuals, 43 per cent were being supervised in the community and 97 per cent were male.
9.2 1,236 Statutory Throughcare ( TC) cases in the community commenced in 2008-09. This represents an increase of 17 per cent from the 1,056 cases which commenced in 2007-08 ( Table 24). Several local authorities have acknowledged that there have been problems with recording this data in the past, and some authorities have had a change of system during the reporting period. Data quality continues to improve but any conclusions about trends over time should be treated with some caution. Almost all cases commenced were for males (95 per cent). A third were for Parole licences, 27 per cent for Non Parole licences, 16 per cent for Supervised Release Orders, 10 per cent for Extended Sentences, 4 per cent for Life licences, 5 per cent for short-term sex offenders and 5 per cent for other forms of supervision in the community (Chart 8).
9.3 There were 2,300 cases in the community currently being supervised, 96 per cent of which are for males ( Table 25).
9.4 In 2008-09, 1,060 Throughcare (in the community) cases were completed, an increase of 21 per cent from 879 in 2007-08 ( Table 26). Twenty-nine per cent related to Parole licences, 24 per cent to non-parole licences and 20 per cent to Supervised Release Orders. The remaining 26 per cent related to Extended Sentences, Life licences and other forms of community supervision.
9.5 Criminal Justice Social Work is expected to provide a throughcare service to all prisoners who are subject to statutory supervision post release. This service begins at the start of a prisoner's sentence and is managed via the Scottish Prison Service's Integrated Case Management process. 2005-06 was the first year in which information on Throughcare cases commenced in custody was collected. Previously the collection focused only on the number of individuals in custody as at 31 March. In 2008-09, 1,109 Throughcare (in custody) cases commenced ( Table 27). Again, the majority were for males (97 per cent). 16 per cent were for Extended Sentences, 7 per cent were for Life licences, 17 per cent for Supervised Release Orders, 5 per cent for short term sex offenders and 54 per cent for other determinate sentences of four years and over ( Table 27 and Chart 9).
Chart 8 TC (community) by Type and Gender, 2008-09
Number per 10,000 population
Notes relating to Chart 8:
1. Section 15 of the Management of Offenders Etc. (Scot) Act 2005.
Chart 9 TC (custody) by Type and Gender, 2008-09
Number per 10,000 population
Notes relating to Chart 9:
1. Section 15 of the Management of Offenders Etc. (Scot) Act 2005.
9.6 There were 3,000 cases in custody currently being supervised, 97 per cent of which were for males ( Table 28).
9.7 Information on Voluntary Assistance ( VA) was collected for the first time in 2004-05 and, from 2005-06 onwards, includes data on the new Throughcare Addiction Service (see paragraph 9.9). There were a total of 2,400 individuals receiving voluntary assistance in 2008-09 ( Table 1 and Table 29). This represents an increase of 12 per cent compared to the 2,200 individuals receiving assistance in 2007-08.
9.8 In 2008-09, a total of 2,900 voluntary assistance cases commenced, an increase of 12 per cent on the previous year.
9.9 The Throughcare Addiction Service ( TAS) commenced on 1 August 2005 and forms part of the voluntary aftercare service. Further information is available in the Annex at paragraph 13.19. Of the voluntary assistance cases commenced, around 1,500 related to the Throughcare Addiction Service ( TAS). These 1,500 or so cases related to 1,269 individuals who received TAS in 2008-09. This was an increase of 190 individuals on the 2007-08 figure of 1,079 individuals.