Offender reconviction rate continues downwards

Reoffending by those convicted in Scottish courts has continued on a downward trend, according to new figures published today.

The statistics, which measure those found to have committed one or more further offences within a year of a previous conviction, apply to those who initially came before the court in 2015-16. They show a decrease from 28.3% in 2014-15, to 27.0% in 2015-16. The average number of reconvictions, a measure of how often offenders are reconvicted, also decreased over the same period from 0.50 to 0.47, or 6%.

Over the longer term, in the decade between 2006-07 and 2015-16, the reconviction rate has decreased by 5.4 percentage points from 32.4% to 27.0%, with the average number of reconvictions per offender down by 22% from 0.60 to 0.47.

As in previous years, male offenders are reconvicted more often, on average, than female offenders, with 23% more reconvictions per offender on average. The rate of decrease for female offenders is also higher, at 11%.

Offenders who committed a crime of dishonesty had the highest number of reconvictions per offender, an average of 0.92, whereas those who committed a sexual crime had the lowest number at 0.17. The type of crime committed by offenders is one of a range of factors affecting reconvictions, including the sentence received, offending history and characteristics of individual offenders.

The reconviction rate for community payback orders, the most commonly used community sentence, was 30.8% in 2015-16, down 2.1 percentage points, with the average number of reconvictions per offender falling 8% from 0.59 to 0.54. Those released from a short prison sentence are reconvicted almost twice as often.

Meanwhile 18.6% of individuals in 2015-16 who received a non-court disposal from the police, and 15.1% who received a non-court disposal from the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service, such as a warning or fine, received another non-court disposal within a year.

For the first time, reconviction rates for extended sentences and supervised release orders, and repeat non-court disposal rates for recorded police warnings have been published, along with experimental statistics of reconviction rates based on the local authority of offenders' residence.

Welcoming the figures, Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf commented: "Scotland has continued to reduce the number of people who reoffend, implementing a clear focus on rehabilitation, working alongside partners in local government, the third sector and Scottish Prison Service, to help many people with convictions turn their lives around.

"Short custodial sentences often serve little purpose, and these independent figures support our work to encourage courts to consider community sentences as a robust alternative to custody – challenging and supporting men and women to tackle underlying issues behind offending behaviour."

Click here to view the full statistical publication.