21,000 criminals absent from community service orders in Glasgow
Glasgow's rates make up a fifth of the national total
New figures reveal that criminals in Glasgow have failed to turn up for community service in almost 21,000 cases in the last five years.
A freedom of information request by the Scottish Conservatives shows that 20,961 instances of absenteeism by offenders due to carry out community payback orders were recorded in Glasgow.
Glasgow has the highest rate of absences in Scotland, with around a fifth of the total number across the country belonging to the city.
More than 100,000 absences were recorded nationally - of those, between 2018/19 and 2022/23, over a third – 37,582 – were deemed to be “unacceptable”.
However, only 15 of the 32 local authorities across Scotland responded to the request meaning the real figures are likely to be higher.
Insult to victims
The statistics have led to "urgent" calls to improve the community service system.
Scottish Conservative shadow justice secretary Jamie Greene MSP, said: “These figures are scandalous and unacceptable – and yet they do not even tell half the story when it comes to absences among those meant to be carrying out community sentences.
“It is yet another example of the SNP’s soft-touch justice approach in action. Not only have SNP ministers been content to write off hundreds of thousands of hours of payback orders, now an eye-watering level of absenteeism among criminals has been exposed.
“It makes a mockery of the justice system when criminals are effectively being given the green light to be absent from community sentences, which, in many cases, are considered lenient in the first place.
“These absences are an insult to victims. They expect this work to be carried out, yet in so many cases offenders are not bothering to turn up at all.
“Community sentencing is failing victims at every turn on the SNP’s watch. The new SNP justice secretary must finally put victims first, as well as ensuring our cash-strapped councils are given every resource they need to tackle absenteeism.
“Questions must also be asked as to why half of Scotland’s local authorities are not recording this data when government guidance clearly states they should be. Their failure to do so means that the true number of absences will be significantly higher.”
Effective community interventions
The Scottish Government says the reconviction rate for community payback orders is lower than short jail terms and focuses on crime prevention and effective community interventions.