Chamber and committees

The available information is provided in the following tables (one for each year), which has been produced from the Scottish Government’s criminal proceedings database .

Requirements for Community Payback Orders are not held in the criminal proceedings database. However, an earlier study that linked convictions data with criminal justice social work statistics indicated that, between 2013-14 and 2016-17, around 3% of community payback orders for those convicted of possession of drugs included a specific drug treatment requirement. The low use of the CPO drug treatment requirement does not mean that individuals with substance misuse problems are not having these needs addressed. Community Payback Order annual reports, provided by local authorities, highlight that issues such as alcohol, drugs and mental health are often addressed under the supervision requirement of a CPO. This was echoed by the evaluation of Community Payback Orders, carried out in 2015 (section 5.38). Both the evaluation and the annual reports noted that using the supervision requirement in this way is especially helpful for those individuals who need support but do not meet the specific criteria of the treatment requirements.

Number of people convicted for the possession of drugs¹, by the type of drug and main penalty, 2016-17.