Stage 1 Report on the Management of Offenders (Scotland) Bill Published in Scotland by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body
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Published 31 January 2019 SP Paper 460 2nd Report, 2019 (Session 5) Justice Committee Comataidh a’ Cheartais Stage 1 Report on the Management of Offenders (Scotland) Bill Published in Scotland by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. All documents are available on the Scottish For information on the Scottish Parliament contact Parliament website at: Public Information on: http://www.parliament.scot/abouttheparliament/ Telephone: 0131 348 5000 91279.aspx Textphone: 0800 092 7100 Email: [email protected] © Parliamentary copyright. Scottish Parliament Corporate Body The Scottish Parliament's copyright policy can be found on the website — www.parliament.scot Justice Committee Stage 1 Report on the Management of Offenders (Scotland) Bill, 2nd Report, 2019 (Session 5) Contents Introduction ____________________________________________________________1 Overview of the Bill _____________________________________________________1 Justice Committee's consideration _________________________________________2 Consideration by other committees _________________________________________4 Membership changes____________________________________________________4 Part 1 - Electronic monitoring _____________________________________________5 What is electronic monitoring?_____________________________________________5 What does the Scottish Government propose? ________________________________6 Monitoring in criminal proceedings________________________________________6 Monitoring on release on licence _________________________________________7 Devices: uses and information ___________________________________________8 Arrangements and designation __________________________________________9 Obligations and compliance ____________________________________________10 Home Detention Curfews - new proposals_________________________________10 Evidence taken on electronic monitoring ____________________________________ 11 Risk assessment, monitoring, compliance and enforcement ___________________ 11 Is the extension of electronic monitoring punitive?___________________________15 Impact of electronic monitoring on families ________________________________19 Resourcing issues and links to other support services _______________________20 Extension of monitoring to those on bail __________________________________21 Use of new technologies such as GPS and alcohol and drug monitoring _________24 Monitoring in cases of domestic abuse ___________________________________26 Electronic monitoring and gender issues __________________________________27 Use of electronic monitoring for children under 18___________________________28 Use of private contractors and data protection issues ________________________29 Electronic monitoring and Justice of the Peace courts________________________32 Home Detention Curfew_______________________________________________33 Proposed creation of a new offence of unlawfully-at-large ___________________36 Conclusions on electronic monitoring ______________________________________38 Part 2 - Disclosure of convictions _________________________________________44 Background __________________________________________________________44 What does the Scottish Government propose? _______________________________44 Disclosure periods ___________________________________________________45 Impact of subsequent convictions on disclosure ____________________________48 Justice Committee Stage 1 Report on the Management of Offenders (Scotland) Bill, 2nd Report, 2019 (Session 5) Public protection: disclosure of spent convictions and prohibited work ___________49 Evidence taken on disclosure of convictions _________________________________51 What is the purpose of disclosure and has an appropriate balance been struck in the Bill?____________________________________________________________51 Terminology ________________________________________________________52 Employment-related matters ___________________________________________55 Clarity on the need to disclose convictions ________________________________57 Impact on families ___________________________________________________59 Disclosure and the under 18s___________________________________________59 High-level disclosure _________________________________________________61 Disclosure and domestic abuse _________________________________________61 Role of the internet___________________________________________________62 Potential impact on the insurance market _________________________________63 Conclusions on the disclosure of convictions ________________________________63 Part 3 - The Parole Board ________________________________________________65 Background __________________________________________________________65 What does the Scottish Government propose? _______________________________66 Evidence taken on the Parole Board _______________________________________67 Independence and governance _________________________________________67 Risk assessment, common tests and transparency __________________________69 Role of a High Court judge and psychiatrist ________________________________71 Appointments and duration of membership ________________________________73 Role for victims ____________________________________________________74 Conclusions on the Parole Board _________________________________________74 Other issues___________________________________________________________76 Disclosure of income forms ______________________________________________76 Financial Memorandum _________________________________________________77 Background __________________________________________________________77 Evidence on the Financial Memorandum____________________________________81 Conclusions on the costs and the Financial Memorandum ______________________83 Delegated powers provisions_____________________________________________85 General principles of the Bill _____________________________________________86 Annex A - Visit by members of the Justice Committee to The Wise Group and G4S, Glasgow, Tuesday 29 May, 2018 ______________________________________87 Annex B - Extracts from the minutes ______________________________________92 Annex C - Written evidence ______________________________________________97 Bibliography___________________________________________________________98 Justice Committee Stage 1 Report on the Management of Offenders (Scotland) Bill, 2nd Report, 2019 (Session 5) Justice Committee To consider and report on matters falling within the responsibility of the Cabinet Secretary for Justice, and functions of the Lord Advocate other than as head of the systems of criminal prosecution and investigation of deaths in Scotland. http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/ justice-committee.aspx [email protected] 0131 348 5047 Justice Committee Stage 1 Report on the Management of Offenders (Scotland) Bill, 2nd Report, 2019 (Session 5) Committee Membership Convener Deputy Convener Margaret Mitchell Rona Mackay Scottish Conservative Scottish National Party and Unionist Party John Finnie Jenny Gilruth Scottish Green Party Scottish National Party Daniel Johnson Liam Kerr Scottish Labour Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Fulton MacGregor Liam McArthur Scottish National Party Scottish Liberal Democrats Shona Robison Scottish National Party Justice Committee Stage 1 Report on the Management of Offenders (Scotland) Bill, 2nd Report, 2019 (Session 5) Introduction 1. The Management of Offenders (Scotland) Bill (“the Bill”) was introduced in the Scottish Parliament on 22 February 2018. It is a Scottish Government Bill. 2. The Policy Memorandum accompanying the Bill states: The Management of Offenders (Scotland) Bill brings forward a number of reforms designed to deliver on the Scottish Government‘s commitment to continue to transform the way in which Scotland deals with offenders, ensuring that Scotland‘s justice retains its focus on prevention and rehabilitation, whilst enhancing support for victims. 1 Overview of the Bill 3. The Bill is split into four parts, with the substantive provisions in the Bill set out in the first three parts. Part 1 of the Bill expands and streamlines the uses of electronic monitoring; Part 2 modernises and improves the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 ("the 1974 Act"); and Part 3 delivers some of the aims of the Parole Reform Programme to clarify the role of the Parole Board. Part 4 contains some standard ancillary and final matters. 4. In simple terms, the Bill permits the use of Global Positioning System (GPS) and other new technologies to be used in the monitoring of offenders' movements. It would also enable the enforcement of exclusion zones, for example, around victims' homes. The Bill also includes proposals to reduce the amount of time people will have to disclose certain convictions, currently set by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, to help them to gain employment; and simplifies and modernises processes for the Parole Board for Scotland. 5. The Policy Memorandum states that, in relation to Part 1, the expansion of electronic monitoring supports the broader community justice policies of preventing and reducing re-offending by increasing the options available to manage and monitor offenders in the community, and to further protect public safety. The Scottish Government argues that the introduction of new technologies, such as GPS technology, presents opportunities to improve the effectiveness of electronic monitoring, for example, through the use of exclusion or inclusion zones that will offer victims