On 24 August 2023, the Scottish Sentencing Council finalised its first offence guideline on causing death by driving. It was approved by the High Court on 31 October 2023 and applies to all offenders who are convicted of a statutory offence of causing death by driving and are sentenced on or after 16 January 2024. 

On 12 July 2023, a cross-sectional study by Glasgow University researchers entitled, ‘Associations Between Significant Head Injury in Male Juveniles in Prison in Scotland UK and Cognitive Function, Disability and Crime’ was published. The research was carried out with 103 participants from HMP/YOI Polmont. It found that whilst there was no difference in offending between those with and without significant head injury (SHI), signs of poorer behavioural control and greater psychological distress in juveniles with SHI suggests that they may be at greater risk of reoffending and of potentially becoming lifelong offenders. This implies a need for corresponding “remedial programmes” to take this into account.