Justice Analytical Services: Areas of Research Interest

Sentencing, Prisons & Rehabilitation

Sentencing

• What evidence exists on the impacts on children of imprisonment of a family member? How can we better understand the short and long-term impacts on children of the imprisonment of a family member?
• What factors contribute to individuals receiving short custodial sentences of 12 months or less despite the existence of the presumption against short sentences?
• What are the experiences of those who receive community sentences? Are there particular groups that are less likely to comply with the requirements of their community sentence? If so, what can be done to improve compliance?
• What features would an effective community sentence for people with substance dependency have, and to what extent are these present in disposals currently available in Scotland?
• What features would a safe and effective approach to managing people with substance dependency in prisons have?
• What are the lived experiences of people who use drugs and interact with the justice system, particularly regarding their journeys through the system and their access to treatment?
• What do we know about the changing characteristics of the offender population in Scotland, focusing on the characteristics of those convicted of a crime according to age, sex, and the types of offences committed over the life-course? More specifically, what do we know about changes in the prevalence and frequency of conviction, including patterns of violent crime (both sexual and non-sexual), and the demographic profile of those involved?
• 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?

Approaches to Offender Rehabilitation

• How are the rehabilitative approaches currently being used in Scotland being delivered? How effective are current approaches and how should they be improved?
• What are the most effective approaches to offender rehabilitation, taking account of specific offender types? How is effectiveness measured?
• How are the aims of rehabilitative programmes understood and operationalised internationally? To what extent do technologies play a role in operationalising these programmes?
• How are rehabilitative programmes experienced by those involved in their practice, including those undergoing rehabilitation?
• How effective are non-court mandated or voluntary programmes, and do outcomes differ from court mandated programmes?
• To what extent do therapeutic treatment models for sexual offenders, particularly methods not traditionally used in a forensic setting (e.g. mindfulness, compassion, sensate focus, and distress tolerance), reduce risk and increase likelihood of desistance from further offending? Does the effectiveness of these models vary among different cohorts of sexual offender?

Bail and Remand

• How effective is bail supervision in ensuring compliance with bail conditions and improving outcomes for individuals?
• To what extent does unsuitable or insecure housing and homelessness affect people on bail in Scotland? To what extent does the housing status of an individual impact upon decisions made in relation to their bail or remand?

Pathways to Parole

• What impact would introducing a system of incentivised parole for the most serious offenders, where they have to earn eligibility for parole hearing, have on reoffending and recall rates?
• How is the system of incentivising prisoners to earn eligibility for parole currently being used internationally? What impact does this system have on reoffending and recall rates, and how do these rates compare to those who are automatically entitled?