8. Statutory/voluntary throughcare

(Tables 1, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b)

Key statistics for 2025-26:

• There were 1,422 statutory custody based throughcare cases commenced in 2025-26, the highest level in the last ten years.
• There were 1,069 statutory community based throughcare cases commenced in 2025-26, the 2nd highest level in the last ten years.

• 97% of both statutory custody based throughcare and community based throughcare cases commenced were for males in 2025-26.
• There were 1,127 voluntary throughcare cases in 2025-26, the lowest in the last ten years.
• 91% of voluntary throughcare cases commenced were for males in 2025-26.

Justice social work must provide throughcare services to those under statutory supervision upon release from prison. This includes individuals serving sentences of four years or more (or six months or more for sexual offences) and those with extended sentences or supervised release orders. Voluntary throughcare services are available to those not under supervision, requested while in custody or up to a year after release, lasting up to 12 months.

Chart 5: Statutory throughcare cases commenced for custody increasing since 2020-21 to be the highest in ten years.

Number of statutory throughcare cases commenced, custody and community based 2016-17 to 2025-26, Scotland

Commencements for statutory throughcare in custody generally fluctuated at around 1,000 in the years 2016-17 to 2019-20. Numbers fell at the start of the pandemic in 2020-21 to 629 cases but have risen over the following five years, reaching the highest level in ten years at 1,422.

In 2025-26, cases commenced of determinate sentences of four years or more was 34%. Supervised release orders accounted for a further 24%

The number of commencements for statutory throughcare cases in the community increased by 3% to 1,069 in 2025-26. Supervised release orders are still the biggest category for 2025-26, contributing 29%.

Chart 6: Statutory custody based throughcare cases in force have risen since 2020-21, while community based cases fell until 2021-22 and have since remained broadly stable.

Number of statutory throughcare cases in force on 31 March, custody and community based 2016-17 to 2025-26, Scotland

The statutory custody based throughcare caseload was 4,693 individuals on 31 March 2026. This was 10% higher than in 2024-25 and the highest level in the last ten years.

The statutory community based throughcare caseload was 1,950 individuals on 31 March 2026. This was 2% lower last year and the 4th lowest level in the last ten years.

On 31 March 2026, 71% of the caseload was custody based and 29% was community based. This differed from the position in March 2016, when 57% was custody and 43% community.

The number of completions of statutory throughcare cases in the community has ranged from 1,121 to 829 over the last ten years. The total of 991 in 2025-26 was the  5th highest level over this period.

The number of voluntary throughcare cases commenced in 2025-26 was 1,127. This was the lowest level in the last ten years. In 2025-26, 91% of cases commenced were for males. There was a decrease in referrals for voluntary throughcare by 11% to 1,738.