A Dundee woman hailed as a shining example by justice secretary Kenny MacAskill of how community projects for criminals work has been jailed after flouting the “soft-touch orders” that had kept her out of prison.
Cheryl Ferguson, a former prostitute, posed with Mr MacAskill in June last year as the minister pledged to end the “vicious circle” of sending repeat offenders back to prison.
Ferguson, 29, had described Cornton Vale, Scotland’s only all-female jail as a “holiday camp” as the justice secretary launched a shake-up of how female offenders are dealt with.
However, despite being described as a model reformed offender thanks to community sentences, Ferguson is back behind bars after admitting breaching her community payback order by repeatedly failing to turn up for appointments or to do unpaid hours of work.
She also committed two further offences while subject to the order.
Ferguson was handed the sentence last March three months before her appearance with MacAskill after she admitted stealing sweets, hair accessories and a children’s craft kit from an Asda store in Dundee.
She further admitted behaving in a threatening and abusive manner toward staff and threatening them with violence.
Ferguson, of Lansdowne Court, was told to do 150 hours of community service.
However, on July 15 last year she stole clothing from a Tesco store and was found in possession of drugs and on September 11 stole a bottle of wine from a Lidl store all while being on bail.
Despite the repeated offences she was allowed to continue on the order.
However, the court’s patience finally ran out after she admitted breaching the community payback order by repeatedly failing to engage with social workers and she was jailed for a total of 12 months.
Ferguson has a history of offending going back a number of years.
She has spent time in jail for a variety of crimes, mostly involving theft and drugs.
During one appearance at Dundee Sheriff Court she admitted approaching a man for the purposes of prostitution.
Speaking last year, Ferguson said: “Cornton Vale is like a holiday camp. I know people who deliberately committed crimes to get put back in there to be with their friends.
“It was an easy ride for most people there. It certainly wasn’t a deterrent.”
She added: “Without the Dundee Project, I’d definitely have reoffended and been back inside.”