What the re-offending rate was of non-violent offenders who received a (a) non-custodial and (b) custodial sentence of less than three mont…

Statistics on the re-offending rateof non-violent offenders are not available since information on offence dates isnot held centrally. The most recent available statistics relate to the reconvictionrates of such offenders and this is given in the following table.
Reconvictions of OffendersDischarged from Custody of given Non-Custodial Sentences, 1998-99 to 2002-03, PercentageReconvicted within Two Years

| 1998-99
| 1999-2000
| 2000-01
| 2001-02
| 2002-03

All offenders
| 42
| 43
| 44
| 44
| 45

Offenders whose index conviction1 was for a non-violent crime2 and which resulted in a non-custodial sentence
| 54
| 54
| 56
| 57
| 59

Offenders whose index conviction1 was for a non-violent crime2 and which resulted in a custodial sentence of less than 3 months 3
| 74
| 74
| 77
| 77
| 77

Notes:
1.The conviction which resulted in a non-custodial sentence being imposed or the onewhich originally led to a custodial sentence being served.
2.Crimes in groups 2 to 5 of the Scottish Executive Justice Departments classificationof crimes and offences or the offences of breach of the peace, anti-social behaviouroffences, racially aggravated harassment or conduct, miscellaneous firearms offencesand social security offences. Crimes of violence (including murder, attempted murder,culpable homicide, serious assault, robbery and assault with intent to rob, simpleassault and simple assault on an emergency worker) are not included.
3. Offenders who were sentencedto less than three months in custody. Given current early release arrangements,these offenders will have been released at half their sentenced custody period andpossibly earlier depending on time they may already have spent on remand or bail.