Reconviction rates in Scotland: 2016-2017 offender cohort

This publication provides analyses of trends in reconviction statistics up to the latest cohort of 2016 to 2017.


Table 9: Reconviction rates and average number of reconvictions per offender, by index disposal: 1997-98 to 2016-17 cohorts1,2

Index disposal Number of offenders Reconviction rate Average number of reconvictions per offender
Discharged from Custody3
1997-98 6,133 48.4 1.04
1998-99 5,820 49.2 1.09
1999-00 5,759 46.2 0.99
2000-01 5,570 47.4 1.00
2001-02 5,948 48.0 1.06
2002-03 6,007 49.8 1.12
2003-04 5,887 50.1 1.11
2004-05 6,124 47.9 1.06
2005-06 6,242 47.4 1.03
2006-07 6,869 48.7 1.06
2007-08 6,911 47.3 1.02
2008-09 7,223 47.2 0.99
2009-10 7,201 46.3 0.95
2010-11 7,030 45.6 0.92
2011-12 7,006 44.6 0.94
2012-13 7,081 44.3 0.91
2013-14 6,716 45.1 0.88
2014-15 6,257 44.7 0.89
2015-16 6,293 43.7 0.86
2016-17 5,917 42.3 0.82
Extended Sentences
1997-98 - - -
1998-99 - - -
1999-00 - - -
2000-01 - - -
2001-02 - - -
2002-03 - - -
2003-04 - - -
2004-05 - - -
2005-06 1 ** **
2006-07 16 6.3 0.06
2007-08 51 11.8 0.14
2008-09 40 12.5 0.15
2009-10 79 13.9 0.15
2010-11 101 15.8 0.19
2011-12 106 14.2 0.19
2012-13 134 12.7 0.14
2013-14 181 6.6 0.09
2014-15 209 14.4 0.15
2015-16 199 12.6 0.15
2016-17 208 11.5 0.13
Supervised Release Orders
1997-98 - - -
1998-99 - - -
1999-00 - - -
2000-01 - - -
2001-02 - - -
2002-03 - - -
2003-04 - - -
2004-05 - - -
2005-06 - - -
2006-07 27 37.0 0.44
2007-08 93 35.5 0.45
2008-09 147 46.9 0.89
2009-10 155 40.0 0.70
2010-11 162 43.8 0.75
2011-12 201 44.8 0.71
2012-13 219 38.8 0.58
2013-14 226 38.1 0.62
2014-15 233 36.5 0.55
2015-16 261 36.8 0.62
2016-17 287 36.6 0.58
Restriction of Liberty Order
1997-98 - - -
1998-99 25 60.0 1.56
1999-00 54 68.5 1.78
2000-01 61 62.3 1.69
2001-02 58 72.4 1.62
2002-03 223 53.8 1.21
2003-04 372 58.3 1.27
2004-05 442 57.7 1.24
2005-06 524 54.0 1.22
2006-07 548 52.4 1.07
2007-08 556 50.9 1.04
2008-09 594 47.8 0.98
2009-10 510 49.4 0.96
2010-11 461 45.1 0.86
2011-12 496 40.3 0.76
2012-13 558 36.4 0.68
2013-14 642 35.5 0.60
2014-15 731 33.7 0.60
2015-16 993 34.3 0.59
2016-17 1,391 33.6 0.59
Legacy Community Order (CSO, PO)4
1997-98 6,083 39.6 0.85
1998-99 5,952 40.3 0.88
1999-00 5,594 38.5 0.78
2000-01 5,643 38.9 0.82
2001-02 6,085 40.5 0.86
2002-03 6,555 40.6 0.84
2003-04 6,449 39.0 0.78
2004-05 7,089 39.6 0.79
2005-06 7,770 38.3 0.74
2006-07 7,604 38.1 0.72
2007-08 8,109 36.5 0.68
2008-09 8,850 37.1 0.70
2009-10 8,656 33.7 0.62
2010-11 8,237 33.7 0.61
2011-12 3,698 27.1 0.46
2012-13 641 13.7 0.20
2013-14 198 5.1 0.06
2014-15 108 8.3 0.12
2015-16 65 9.2 0.12
2016-17 41 7.3 0.07
Community Payback Order5
1997-98 - - -
1998-99 - - -
1999-00 - - -
2000-01 - - -
2001-02 - - -
2002-03 - - -
2003-04 - - -
2004-05 - - -
2005-06 - - -
2006-07 - - -
2007-08 - - -
2008-09 - - -
2009-10 - - -
2010-11 179 55.3 1.14
2011-12 6,175 36.8 0.69
2012-13 9,480 32.6 0.57
2013-14 10,539 30.6 0.56
2014-15 10,833 32.9 0.59
2015-16 10,804 31.1 0.55
2016-17 10,016 31.2 0.55
Drug Treatment and Testing Order
1997-98 - - -
1998-99 - - -
1999-00 1 ** **
2000-01 36 58.3 1.31
2001-02 95 75.8 2.16
2002-03 145 75.9 2.43
2003-04 204 78.9 2.20
2004-05 232 78.4 2.20
2005-06 271 70.1 1.88
2006-07 305 75.1 2.01
2007-08 327 70.6 1.94
2008-09 364 67.3 1.75
2009-10 365 66.0 1.70
2010-11 375 67.2 1.63
2011-12 278 62.2 1.65
2012-13 315 65.1 1.59
2013-14 329 64.1 1.73
2014-15 259 63.7 1.76
2015-16 238 67.2 1.76
2016-17 224 64.3 1.47
Monetary Disposal
1997-98 32,895 29.5 0.54
1998-99 29,561 29.4 0.53
1999-00 25,604 28.9 0.52
2000-01 23,816 28.9 0.51
2001-02 24,865 29.0 0.52
2002-03 24,847 29.1 0.52
2003-04 26,693 29.5 0.51
2004-05 27,451 29.2 0.50
2005-06 27,047 29.2 0.50
2006-07 28,498 29.0 0.49
2007-08 27,495 27.6 0.46
2008-09 22,846 26.7 0.47
2009-10 20,961 26.6 0.45
2010-11 18,679 25.6 0.44
2011-12 17,122 24.1 0.40
2012-13 14,800 23.3 0.39
2013-14 14,823 23.2 0.39
2014-15 15,205 22.3 0.36
2015-16 15,150 21.3 0.34
2016-17 13,305 21.1 0.33
Other Disposal6
1997-98 8,349 23.0 0.42
1998-99 7,787 21.5 0.38
1999-00 7,233 21.7 0.37
2000-01 6,435 22.2 0.37
2001-02 6,596 22.5 0.40
2002-03 7,071 23.0 0.41
2003-04 7,398 22.1 0.39
2004-05 8,015 22.3 0.39
2005-06 8,489 23.7 0.41
2006-07 9,438 23.7 0.42
2007-08 9,502 23.2 0.41
2008-09 9,601 23.5 0.44
2009-10 9,489 22.1 0.39
2010-11 9,483 21.9 0.39
2011-12 8,737 22.6 0.40
2012-13 8,467 21.2 0.38
2013-14 8,523 21.0 0.39
2014-15 9,779 21.3 0.37
2015-16 10,048 20.4 0.34
2016-17 9,217 20.2 0.35

1. Figures for previous cohorts may differ from previously published figures as updated information is fed into the Scottish Offenders Index.

2. Caution is needed when comparing reconvictions between different disposals. A disposal may affect the reconviction rates, but different disposals are given for different types of offending behaviour, which are themselves also likely to affect reconviction rates.

3. Discharged from custody includes imprisonment and admission to a young offenders institution, and from 2010-11 also includes a small number of offenders (between 5 and 16 per cohort) given Orders for Lifelong Restriction.

4. Legacy community order refers to Community Service Orders (CSOs) and Probation Orders (POs) which were replaced by Community Payback Orders for crimes or offences committed after 1 February 2011. Legacy community orders given after 1 February 2011 are for crimes or offences committed prior to 1 February 2011.

5. Community Payback Orders (CPOs) were introduced by the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 and came into effect from 1 February 2011. The CPO replaces provisions for Community Service Orders, Probation Orders, and Supervised Attendance Orders.

6. Includes Supervised Attendance Orders; remit to children's hearing; community reparation order; caution; admonition; absolute discharge; insanity; guardianship; and hospital order.

Contact

Email: Justice_Analysts@gov.scot

Back to top