Scottish government statistics show that 16,500 CPOs were commenced in 2024-25, up from 15,114 the previous year.

Courts are also imposing longer unpaid work requirements. The average number of hours attached to CPOs reached 137 in 2024-25, the highest level in a decade, compared with 121 hours in 2015-16.

The overall number of live CPOs continued to rise. As of 31 March 2025, there were 18,300 orders in existence, up from 16,800 a year earlier and the highest figure recorded in the past ten years.

Most orders continue to include multiple elements. In 2024-25, 69 per cent of CPOs carried an unpaid work requirement, while 67 per cent included supervision.

Completion rates remained stable. Around 71 per cent of CPOs were successfully completed during 2024-25, unchanged from the previous year.

The figures show that CPO use has largely recovered from the sharp fall seen during the pandemic. In 2020-21, the number of orders dropped to 8,200, but the latest data places usage just below pre-pandemic levels of 16,800 recorded in 2019-20.

Since CPOs were introduced, offenders have completed a total of 12.5 million hours of unpaid work or other activity.

Gemma Fraser, head of insights and intelligence at Community Justice Scotland, said: “Community sentences are tough and transformative, holding people accountable while connecting them to housing, treatment, employment, and purpose.

“We are driving Scotland’s shift towards community first justice – the only sustainable way to reduce prison numbers and prevent reoffending.

“There is an urgent need to build on this progress to create a justice system that reduces harm, cuts costs, and delivers better outcomes for individuals and communities.”