Intervention and Prevention

Working with people to help them reduce their offending is a key part of community supervision, whether it’s used instead of a prison sentence or as support after release on licence.

Contents

Custodial Sentences

Courts can give different lengths of prison sentences depending on their level:

  • Justice of the Peace Court: up to 90 days.
  • Sheriff Court (Summary): up to 12 months, though PASS legislation discourages using custody.
  • Sheriff Court (Solemn): up to 5 years.
  • High Court: can give any length of sentence, including life imprisonment.

Short-term sentences (under 4 years)

The person is usually released after serving 30% of their sentence. If the offence is domestic or sexual, they must serve 50% before release.

  • They won’t have statutory supervision unless the court imposed:
    • a Supervised Release Order
    • an Extended Sentence
    • a Short Term Sex Offender Licence.

Long-term sentence (4 years and over)

  • The person can apply for parole after serving half their sentence.
  • If refused, they can reapply every 12 months.
  • All long‑term prisoners are supervised in the community until the end of their sentence to reduce risk and support reintegration.

Extended sentence

An Extended Sentence includes:

  1. A prison term (short or long, as above), and
  2. A longer period of supervision in the community after release.

Courts use Extended Sentences when:

  • the offence caused serious harm, or
  • the person poses a risk that needs managed in the community.

Life sentence

  • Automatically given for murder, but can also be used for other serious offences.
  • The court sets a minimum punishment period that must be served in prison.
  • After that, the person can apply for release on a Life Licence.
  • If released, they are supervised for life, although supervision can be ended after 10 years if the Parole Board agrees.