Commission to consider improvements to deal with
offending behaviour.
A new independent Commission has been established to review
sentencing and penal policy and identify the most effective ways
to address offending behaviour to help reduce crime and lower the
number of victims.
The Sentencing and Penal Policy Commission will be chaired by
Martyn Evans, former Chair of the Scottish Police Authority,
supported by five expert commissioners. The Commission will
examine how imprisonment and community-based interventions are
currently used in Scotland.
The independent Commission will, as part of its work, engage with
victims and others with experience of the justice system, and
make detailed recommendations for improvements in how offending
behaviour can be dealt with effectively and proportionately.
Initially focusing on community sentencing, bail and remand, and
release from custody, the Commission will be able to consider
other areas it deems necessary. A final report and
recommendations are to be presented to the Scottish Government
before the end of the year.
Justice Secretary said:
“I am grateful to Martyn Evans and the Commissioners, who will
bring their considerable knowledge and experience to bear in
taking on this vital task.
“Prison will always be necessary for those who pose the greatest
risk of harm, and protecting victims and the public is my
absolute priority.
“However, evidence shows that short prison sentences are often
not the best way to reduce reoffending, with those released from
short custodial sentences reconvicted nearly twice as often as
those sentenced to a community payback order. While crime is at
one of its lowest levels in 50 years, we all want to keep crime
down and communities safe, and effective rehabilitation to reduce
reoffending is a key part of that.
“So we need careful consideration of the best balance between
imprisonment and community justice, while protecting the public.
The Commission will examine how and when custodial sentences and
community interventions are used, how effective these are, and
what more can be done to reduce reoffending. I look forward to
their report.”
Mr Evans said:
“I am honoured to be appointed by the Scottish Government to
chair the Commission on Sentencing and Penal Policy.
“Scotland's criminal justice system faces significant challenges.
This Commission will take a thorough and independent look at how
sentencing policy aligns with Scotland's ambition for a modern,
proportionate, and rehabilitative justice system. We will engage
widely, listen carefully, and base our recommendations on the
best available evidence and insights.
“I look forward to working with colleagues across the justice
sector, victims and their families, and communities across
Scotland to develop proposals that serve the public interest and
contribute to a safer and more just society.”
Background
Sentencing and Penal
Policy Commission
In addition to his work at the SPA, Martyn Evans has wide-ranging
executive and non-executive experience in the voluntary and
public sectors and has chaired successful and influential
commissions and enquiries across the UK and Ireland in fields as
diverse as welfare reform, library strategy, fairness, legal aid,
citizenship and wellbeing.
The five additional expert Commissioners joining Mr Evans are:
- Former Scottish Justice Minister
- Sheriff David Mackie
- Catherine Dyer CBE, Chair of Community Justice Scotland
- Lynsey , Joint Chair of the Social Work
Scotland Justice Standing Committee
- Dr Hannah Graham, Senior Lecturer in Criminology at the
University of Stirling.
