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Circular JD/3/2009 - Community Service Order: Offenders' Travel Expenses

DescriptionAmendment to Circular DSW4/1993. This circular updates previous advice regarding the payment of such travel expenses to offenders subject to various forms of community disposal.
ISBN (Web Only)
Official Print Publication DateFebruary 2009
Website Publication DateFebruary 27, 2009

Criminal Justice Directorate

Community Justice Services Division

T: 0131-244 5438 F: 0131-244 3548

E: brian.cole@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

Directors of Social Work

CJSW Managers

Our ref: Circular No JD/03/2009

Amendment to Circular - DSW4/1993

27 February 2009

Dear Sir/Madam

OFFENDERS' TRAVEL EXPENSES

1. Section 245(2)(c), Schedule 7 section 6 (2)(c), etc of the Criminal Procedures (Scotland) Act 1995 make provisions for payments of travel expenses to offenders subject to various forms of community disposal. This circular updates previous advice regarding the payments of such expenses.

2. Authorities have discretion to make their own arrangements for re-imbursement of travel costs to reflect local circumstances and budgets provided that the provisions and amounts paid do not exceed those set out below in paragraphs 3 and 4.

3. Offenders, who are elderly and infirm or who have a disability or temporary impairment requiring the use of public transport and who are not otherwise entitled to free transport, may be refunded the full cost to them of public transport by direct route from their home to the place at which they have been instructed to report and back to their home. In cases where offenders in this category could not reasonably use public transport but have access to a motor vehicle the costs of using the vehicle, for both the inward and return journeys, may be refunded at the rate of 10p per mile for cars.

4. All offenders not covered by paragraph 3 above may be refunded for each single journey for that part of their public transport travel costs by the shortest practical route between their home and the place at which they have been instructed to attend which exceeds 3 miles. In cases where the offender could not reasonably use public transport but has access to a motor vehicle the costs of using the vehicle, for both the inward and return journeys in excess of 3 miles, may be refunded at the rate of 10p per mile for cars and 6.6p per mile for motorcycles.

5. Where the offender is entitled to reimbursement of public travel costs, the most cost effective method of travel should be used e.g. use of zone cards, etc. In exceptional cases supervising officers may exercise discretion and subject to the approval of their line manager refund all or part of the travel expenses of offenders in the category described in paragraph 4 above.

6. Any offender receiving payment of travel expenses under existing arrangement may continue to receive payment at that rate until the end of their order. This Circular should otherwise be implemented with immediate effect.

Yours faithfully

BRIAN COLE

Page updated: Friday, February 27, 2009