Community Justice report

Community justice services have returned to pre-pandemic levels with demands on partners working across the system increasing significantly, according to a new report. 

Dundee City Council’s city governance committee will be told that in 2023/24 more Community Payback Orders (CPOs) were imposed by the Sheriff Court than in the previous year, with 70% of these successfully completed.

Mark Flynn committee convener said: “It is important that everyone involved with the community justice system understands the hard work that goes on, often behind the scenes, to successfully implement and deliver community-based sentences.

“There are many moving parts, including victims of crime, perpetrators, prosecutors, sheriffs, Police Scotland, Scottish Prison Service and local authority professionals, all of whom have played their part in getting things back on an even keel after the disruption caused by Covid-19.

“While the annual report recognises this, it has also put a greater focus on areas such as reducing the risk of re-offending; support for underlying needs; unpaid work and other activity; as well as the benefits and challenges of CPOs.”

Developments highlighted in the report include: 

• the Crown Office Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) referred 164 people for Diversion from Prosecution, compared with 162 the previous year; 

• following assessment 92 people started and 62 completed, compared with the same number starting and 53 completing the year before; 

• where people do not start or complete Diversion from Prosecution, the service refers them back to COPFS to consider prosecution; 

• the Community Justice Service completed Court Reports to inform the sentencing of 824 individuals, compared with 714 in 2022/23; 

• Bail supervision cases increased from 16 to 18 while Structured Deferred Sentences went up from 44 to 96; 

• a total of 553 Community Payback Orders were imposed by the Sheriff Court, up from 447 the previous year; 

• the total number of Unpaid Work hours imposed by the court increased from 38,101 hours in 2022/23 to 43,616 hours this year; 

• the percentage of CPOs successfully completed rose from 65% to 70%, with the remainder revoked and re-sentenced; and 

• support was provided by the Community Justice Service to 139 short-term prisoners on their release to the community, compared with 124 last year. 

Councillors will be asked to agree the Community Justice Outcome Activity Plan (CJOIP) and Community Payback Order (CPO) Annual Reports for 2023/24 at the city governance committee meeting on Monday (January 20). 

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