A Tripartite Group has been set up by the Scottish Executive to develop proposals to strengthen partnership working between the Scottish Executive, the Scottish Prison Service and local authorities to improve the arrangements for the transition from prison to community.
The Group recognised the need to tackle the structural differences which existed in the service and the need to develop a broader agenda for throughcare services to manage the transition from prison to the community more effectively.
Ministers endorsed the development of an enhanced throughcare policy based on the recommendations contained in the Tripartite Group Report -" Throughcare - Developing the Service" which was published on 28 January 2003.
The report recommended:
Phase 1
- Extending the present arrangements for Extended Sentences to all prisoners subject to statutory throughcare. Different arrangements exist for the supervision of offenders on extended sentences. A supervising authority and supervising officer is designated at the start of the prison sentence. This model offers more robust arrangements for preparing prisoners for release and for their supervision after release. It also promotes continuity of service provision during and after a prison sentence.
Phase 2
- Identifying priorities within the group of prisoners eligible for voluntary aftercare to 3 subgroups as follows:
(1) Schedule 1 Offenders - (i.e. those convicted of offences against children) and other sex offenders not subject to statutory throughcare who are the highest risk group;
(2) Young offenders - This is a group which shows the highest rate of offending and effective action would have longer benefits for the criminal justice system, communities and victims;
(3) Those prisoners who have shown a commitment to address their offending behaviour or who have remained in contact with SPS's transitional throughcare service.
These developments have led to an increase in allocations to local authorities from £2.5m in 2002-03 to £4.5m in 2003-04 to £7.2m in 2005-2006 to £9.2m in 2006-07.