What do we know about changes in sentencing patterns, specifically the number of people sentenced to prison, sentence lengths, and the types of sentences given for various crimes over time? How have sentencing patterns changed over time by age, sex, and offence history? What do these trends tell us about the relationship between offender characteristics and sentencing outcomes in Scotland?
Background
The Scottish Government’s Vision for Justice aims to support rehabilitation, use custody only where there is no alternative and work to reduce reoffending and revictimisation. It also aims to establish an effective, modern person-centred and trauma-informed approach to justice in which everyone can have trust, including as victims, those accused of crimes and as individuals in civil disputes. As such, Justice Analytical Services have identified the theme of ‘Sentencing Prisons & Rehabilitation’ as a research priority. Robust research on offenders, their rehabilitation and sentencing patterns will inform work towards these aims.
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This question was published as part of the set of ARIs in this document:
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Related UKRI funded projects
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Lives Sentenced: The Punishment Careers of Persistent Offenders
There has been little research examining how those who are punished by the criminal justice system experience and give meaning to their sentences. Research that does exist has largely focused on one single sentence. Howe...
Funded by: ESRC
Lead research organisation: University of Glasgow
Why might this be relevant?
This project specifically focuses on the sentencing patterns of persistent offenders in Scotland, providing in-depth insights into how offenders interpret their sentences over time.
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Understanding Offender Rehabilitation and Supervision
Offender rehabilitation in England and Wales is in crisis. 57% of adults released from short custodial sentences re-offend within just 1 year of their release. Lack of rehabilitation is a key driver of record-high prison...
Funded by: ESRC
Lead research organisation: University of Strathclyde
Why might this be relevant?
Partially relevant as it focuses on offender rehabilitation in England and Wales, not specifically on changes in sentencing patterns in Scotland.
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ADR UK Data First Evaluation Fellowship
Until recently, the large amounts of administrative data routinely collected about offenders as they are moved through the Criminal Justice System have been inaccessible to research. Instead, our understanding has largel...
Funded by: ESRC
Lead research organisation: University of Surrey
Why might this be relevant?
While this project focuses on analyzing linked data about offenders in the Criminal Justice System, it does not directly address the specific sentencing patterns and changes in Scotland as requested.