The number of Tayside offenders being reported for breaching their community payback orders dropped by over a third last year.
New figures have revealed more of the orders, which are handed down to offenders as an alternative to custody, are also being completed.
A total of 290 breach applications were made to the courts in Tayside between April and September last year, a reduction of 34.8% from the same period in 2011.
Dundee recorded a 45% drop, while Perth and Kinross and Angus dipped 24% and 19% respectively.
Completion rates for the orders also rose in Angus and Dundee, although Perth and Kinross recorded a small drop.
Senior Dundee solicitor George Donnelly said he was not surprised at the reduction in the number of breaches being reported.
He said: “I think what is happening is that the sheriffs are keeping an eye on them through a review system.
“If there are any real concerns there may be a breach, the system calls the accused back every couple of months or so, so the sheriff can get a report of their progress.
“The new system seems to have a bit more flexibility and our feedback is that people are reasonably pleased with them.”
Community Payback Orders were introduced in February 2011 and replaced provisions for Community Service Orders, Probation Orders and Supervised Attendance Orders.
The order might include unpaid work in the community, intensive supervision or alcohol, drug or behavioural programmes.
Orders can be breached by non-compliance but not by committing a further offence.
A report by the Tayside Community Justice Authority said: “Criminal justice services have continued to make efforts to increase the overall engagement rate of offenders subject to community sentences.
“It is clear that in the more recent period, there have been far fewer breach applications and significant reductions in timescales for a breach to be finalised by the courts in all three areas.”