Nearly 30,000 criminals have breached their community sentences over the last 11 years under the SNP’s “soft-touch justice system”, according to shock new statistics.
Figures obtained by the Scottish Conservatives via a Freedom of Information request show that between 2012-13 and 2023-24, 29,544 Community Payback Orders were terminated because of violations by the offender.
Of those breaches, 8,078 resulted in the offender being handed another community sentence as punishment, while just 7,956 led to a custodial sentence being imposed.
Most of the remaining breaches of CPOs resulted in ‘other penalties’ or ‘other outcomes’ – but secretive SNP government officials did not expand on what these entailed.
Shadow minister for victims and community safety Sharon Dowey said the figures made a mockery of the justice system and called for more stringent sanctions for offenders who failed to complete their community sentences in full.
Scottish Conservative shadow minister for victims and community safety Sharon Dowey MSP said: “These shocking figures are yet more evidence of the SNP’s soft-touch justice system in action.
“Given the increased use of Community Payback Orders, the very least the public expect is for offenders to carry out the sentence imposed on them.
“Where there has been a breach, offenders should be properly punished rather than let off the hook. It defies belief that so many are simply having another CPO issued.
“It sends a clear message to criminals that there are no consequences for failing to pay their dues, which makes a mockery of the justice system.
“These figures are yet another example of John Swinney’s government pandering to criminals and betraying victims.
“It’s a matter of common sense and justice that all sentences should be completed in full.”
Notes to editors:
Nearly 30,000 criminals breached their community sentences over the last 11 years. Between 2012-13 and 2023-24, 29,544 Community Payback Orders were terminated due to a breach by the offender. (Freedom of Information: 202500460471, 22 April 2025, available on request).
Less than 8,000 were punished with prison as a result of their breach. Over those 11 years, just 7,956 offenders were given jail time for breaching the terms of their Community Payback Order. (Freedom of Information: 202500460471, 22 April 2025, available on request).
More than 8,000 criminals were given another community sentence for breaching their community sentence. In that same period, 8,078 offenders were given another Community Payback Order for breaching the terms of their previous Community Payback Order. (Freedom of Information: 202500460471, 22 April 2025, available on request).
The Scottish Government also does not specify what ‘other penalty’ or ‘other outcome’ entails. 2,236 criminals were issued with ‘other penalties’ for breaching their Community Payback Order and a further 7,372 were issued with ‘other outcomes’ for their breaches – but the Scottish Government do no state what these penalties or outcomes are. They do state that from 2022-23, they replaced ‘other outcomes’ with ‘no further action for social work’, where any further action did not require justice social work to support and the local authority were not advised by the court of any further penalty, e.g. an admonition or where the case was discharged. (Freedom of Information: 202500460471, 22 April 2025, available on request).