The Scottish Government is committed to modernising the justice system to protect communities and make them as safe and as crime free as possible.
Prison will always be the right place for serious and dangerous offenders. But, we cannot keep locking up record numbers of prisoners while crime continues to fall.
Evidence shows that short sentences do not work. Instead we must tackle the persistent problem of offending and reoffending through speedy and tough community penalities that are rigorously enforced. We must ensure that offenders pay back the communities they harm.
Proposals in the Criminal Justice Bill will deliver flexible new Community Payback Orders to tackle the causes of offending behaviour, as well as responding to its effect.
Find out more: Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Bill