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Call to spare parents from jail | Call to spare parents from jail |
(about 4 hours later) | |
Scottish courts should think before jailing offenders who are parents because of the effect on families, the children's commissioner has urged. | Scottish courts should think before jailing offenders who are parents because of the effect on families, the children's commissioner has urged. |
Tam Baillie told BBC Scotland the parents of about 16,000 youngsters were currently behind bars, which had a negative impact on their development. | Tam Baillie told BBC Scotland the parents of about 16,000 youngsters were currently behind bars, which had a negative impact on their development. |
Mr Baillie said sentences should take into account the impact on children. | Mr Baillie said sentences should take into account the impact on children. |
Ministers said the family situations of offenders would be taken into account as part of planned justice reforms. | |
The children's commissioner also said his suggested course of action could tackle the high prison population. | |
'Emotional development' | |
He told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: "There will be cases where sentencers are swithering about whether to give a custodial or a community-based sentence and they have to take a number of factors into account already, such as seriousness of the offence and the likelihood of reoffending. | He told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: "There will be cases where sentencers are swithering about whether to give a custodial or a community-based sentence and they have to take a number of factors into account already, such as seriousness of the offence and the likelihood of reoffending. |
"One of the other factors I'm suggesting should be taken into account is the impact on children." | "One of the other factors I'm suggesting should be taken into account is the impact on children." |
Mr Baillie added: "This is largely a forgotten group, they're invisible. | Mr Baillie added: "This is largely a forgotten group, they're invisible. |
"We've got something like 16,000 children in Scotland whose parents are imprisoned, and it has an impact in terms of their social development and their emotional development." | "We've got something like 16,000 children in Scotland whose parents are imprisoned, and it has an impact in terms of their social development and their emotional development." |
The Scottish Government said it was committed to providing support to children and families who have a family member in prison, and sentencing issues were tackled in its proposed Criminal Justice and Licensing Bill. | |
"Courts are required to have regard to these statutory provisions when making sentencing decisions," said a government spokesman. | |
"Included in the principles of sentencing is consideration of any information before the court about the particular circumstances of the offender, including the offender's family situation." | |
The legislation would also establish a sentencing council to give guidance on the sentencing of offenders. |
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