Scottish Lib Dems back extension of jail sentence presumption to 12 months
The Scottish Liberal Democrats will back a presumption against prison sentences of under a year in their manifesto for the Holyrood election.
The party said the current presumption against jail terms of three months or less should be extended to 12 months in an effort to reduce re-offending rates, cut the prison population and save money.
Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland, the Howard League for Penal Reform, Apex Scotland, councils and social-work organisations are among those who support a 12-month limit.
The Scottish Government has recently consulted on the issue, with Justice Secretary Michael Matheson last week acknowledging that an extension would reduce the ''churn'' of short-term prisoners.
Figures show 4,126 people were given a custodial sentence of up to three months in 2013-14, with 5,214 handed terms of between three and six months.
Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Alison McInnes MSP said her party would keep prison terms for those committing serious crimes alongside "tough'' community justice programmes.
She said: "One of the main priorities for Scottish Liberal Democrats is having a criminal justice system where if someone breaks the law, they are swiftly brought to justice.
But we also believe offenders deserve a chance to get back on track and community rehabilitation is a fundamental part of that.
"A prison place costs £37,000 a year - much more than effective community-based sentences like Community Payback Orders which cost on average £1,900.
"That means this policy will also enable the Scottish Prison Service to really focus on engaging with more serious long-term offenders, not those who experts have deemed 'more troubling than dangerous'.
"The robust community justice programmes we would ensure are available to judges and sheriffs also help provide stability and ensure successful rehabilitation.
"These programmes help avoid people becoming homeless or losing touch with their families - the links which even a short stint inside can destroy.''