To ask the Scottish Executive how it is addressing the issue of sex offenders in the consultation on reducing reoffending in Scotland.
Reduce, Rehabilitate, Reform, the Scottish Executive’s consultation on reducing reoffending,is inviting views on how we can improve the management of all categories of offenders– including sex offenders – in order to reduce their reoffending.
The Scottish Executive is fully committed to reducing reoffending by sex offenders and is currentlytaking forward a number of initiatives:
Delivery of sex offender treatmentprogrammes in prison.
Implementation of the 73 wide-rangingrecommendations contained in the Report by the Expert Panel on Sex Offending, chairedby Lady Cosgrove.
Strengthening of the throughcareservice available to prisoners on release from prison back into the community. Throughcareprovision for high risk and sex offenders will be considered as a priority.
Improvements to the sex offendersregister made by the Sexual Offences Act 2003, which comes into force on 1 May 2004.
Any proposals in relation tosex offenders submitted in response to the reducing reoffending consultation willtherefore be considered in the context of these on-going initiatives.