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Experienced voices share their justice journey

Our latest piece of research “Rules for Them and Rules for Us” is now available to read. This brand-new research maps the real-life stories of participants against the complexities of the Scottish justice system. The experiences also bring to life Community Justice Scotland’s Navigating Scotland’s Justice System digital resource which shows the different routes and outcomes individuals may face.

Alongside “Rules for Them and Rules for Us”, we have created a series of illustrations which map four different #JusticeJourneys: Community Payback Order (CPO), Diversion, Long-term prison sentence and Short-term prison sentence.

We hope that these illustrations will help bring greater understanding of the complexities those involved with the justice system face.

Samantha Reekie, Improvement Lead at CJS said: “In mapping out and exploring the complexities of the justice system, we can highlight the ways in which people experience these processes with a view to making targeted improvements going forward. But we must also consider how we can better support individuals at all stages to take ownership of their journey and view themselves as participants rather than mere subjects of the justice process in Scotland.”

Community Payback Order 


Diversion 

Short-term prison sentence

Long-term prison sentence

NAVIGATING SCOTLAND’S JUSTICE SYSTEM: LAUNCH OF A NEW DIGITAL RESOURCE ON 29 SEPTEMBER 2020

Here at Community Justice Scotland, we are committed to changing the conversation about justice, increasing understanding and support for what will make Scotland better for all of us.

This vision will only be possible with support from across our society, including justice partners, third sector, those touched by the justice system, the public and beyond. All of us, together, are vital in helping to drive awareness, improvements and a better understanding.

However, to further improve the justice system, we must first understand it, the processes involved and the complexities that people face when navigating it. To that end, we have created an interactive, digital map which outlines the key stages of the Scottish justice system. This first-of-its-kind map shows the range of possible journeys from an alleged crime through to multiple exit points, providing key information and statistics about each step.

Launching on Tuesday 29 September 2020, our map is part of our ambition to create a robust evidence base which we hope will increase understanding and inspire innovation. Soon after we launch, we will run a series of activities which will encourage key audiences to think about justice. And, we’d like you to get involved – here’s how:

  • Social media. Through the Community Justice Scotland Facebook and  Twitter accounts, we will make digital content available, including visuals and information about the map. We would appreciate your support in sharing our messages through your own social media channels, please use the hashtag #smartjustice
  • Creative materials. Please feel free to embed the map, animation and digital banners into your own work including websites, newsletters, intranet etc. For the original file version(s), get in touch: infocommunityjustice.scot
  • PR. We want to encourage people to think about the justice system, and how complex it is. To help explore this, we will release a series of blogs, Talking Justice, from professionals across a range of sectors. This ‘call for action’ looks at the bigger picture, so that readers can start to connect how various stages of the justice system can tackle the underlying causes of crime by offering treatment, rehabilitation, training and support. Each week, we will publish our blogs here, please read, comment and share with your networks.

You can access Navigating Scotland’s Justice System here: https://communityjustice.scot/scottish_justice_system/

Returning to Face to Face Delivery Safely

Returning to Face to Face Delivery Safely outlines how our Learning, Development and Innovation Team will approach the safe restart of our face to face training courses. It sets out our commitments to training delegates and their responsibilities to us and each other.

Download and read more here.

COVID-19

In these unprecedented times we find ourselves in, Community Justice Scotland will be doing our very best to maintain our work with communities across Scotland. There will be changes to how we deliver some aspects of our work, such as our training courses. We will keep you updated.

To all of our partners who continue to deliver critical services across Scotland, we would like to say thank you. Adapting to what is a rapidly changing situation whilst often going above and beyond is indicative of your professionalism, and your commitment to our communities. We will continue to support you in any way that we can.

This will be a fast moving situation for community justice. We will update this page regularly to keep you informed, so that we can continue to provide as much help and support for local areas as we can.

What is the Coronavirus?

Coronavirus (COVID-19) is the illness caused by a new strain of Coronavirus. It can cause a cough and/or a fever/high temperature. Latest guidance about COVID-19 from NHS Scotland and the Scottish Government can be found here: https://www.nhsinform.scot/coronavirus

Policy and Legislation

The Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020 received Royal Assent and came into force on Tuesday 7 April 2020. More information can be found here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2020/7/contents

The Act introduced various measures of relevance to the delivery of community justice in Scotland, including the early release of some people from prison; extending the length for completion of all current community payback orders that include an unpaid work or other activity element by 12 months; an option to further vary or postpone community orders en masse as required; measures to allow the virtual delivery of justice processes include remote juries and Parole Board hearings.

The Coronavirus (Scotland) (No.2) Act was introduced in the Scottish Parliament on 11th May 2020 and passed Stage 3 on 20th May, introducing a range of further measures modifying justice delivery, including the extension of time limits for criminal proceedings.

Further detail about this legislation can be found here: https://www.parliament.scot/bills-and-laws/bills/coronavirus-scotland-no2-bill

These Acts introduced these measures for a time limited period (initially 6 months with the potential for extension, to a maximum of 18 months total), due to expire in September 2021. The Coronavirus (Extension and Expiry) (Scotland) Act became law on 4 August 2021, extending Part 1 of both Coronavirus (Scotland) (No.2) Act and Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020 until 31 March 2022. This means that the changes to the law in Part 1 of each of these Acts will continue to be the law until that time. This Act also allows secondary legislation to be used to extend Part 1 of each of these Acts further, to 30 September 2022.

The Coronavirus (COVID-19): framework for decision making was published on 23 April 2020. It sets out the challenges Scotland faces during COVID-19 and outlines the approach and principles that will guide the Scottish Government as it makes decisions about transitioning out of the current lockdown arrangements. Read more: https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-framework-decision-making/

Published on Thursday 21 May 2020, the Scottish Government’s route map gives an indication of the order in which they will seek to change current restrictions. It provides practical examples of what people, organisations and businesses can expect to see change over time. The phasing table will continue to be updated. Read more: https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-framework-decision-making-scotlands-route-map-through-out-crisis/

The Community Orders (Coronavirus) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2021/144/contents/made approved by the Scottish Parliament in March 2021, vary Unpaid Work (UPW) or Other Activity Requirements in existing Community Payback Orders (CPOs) by reducing the number of hours imposed in each order by 35% (with some exceptions*). The purpose of the regulations is to reduce pressure on Justice Social Work services arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

*Exceptions apply as follows:

(i)an offence that is aggravated as described in section 1(1)(a) of the Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Act 2016(2) and has been recorded as such under section 1(5) of that Act,

(ii)an offence under section 1(1) of the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018(3),

(iii)an offence listed in paragraphs 36 to 60 of Schedule 3 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003(4),

(iv)the offence of stalking as defined in section 39 of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010(5)

SHORE and COVID-19 Guidance

In light of the current Covid-19 situation, appropriate housing on release from prison is of critical importance. As such, interim SHORE guidance has been developed by the prison service and the Scottish Government. Download and read the guidance here.

Links to further support

Contact us

As always, you can get in touch with us via social media, email or mobile. We remain contactable and happy to help. Team profiles and contact details here: didac-cjs.union-dev2.net/our-team/  Our general contact information:

Community Justice Scotland’s statement on COVID-19.

As more and more people are impacted by the Corona Virus (COVID-19) every day, Community Justice Scotland (CJS) has put continuity measures in place to safeguard its staff and play our role in preventing the spread of this outbreak.

Almost all staff have now moved to home working in line with Government recommendations. We are actively reviewing how we will be able to carry out all our activities, projects and programmes in these changing circumstances. We will be engaging with our partners so that we understand their challenges and needs.  We do expect that contact and meetings will be remote going forward and therefore some adjustments to working will be required.

Scheduled training courses may have to be postponed. Prospective students and line managers will be informed of this as soon as decisions are made. Our Learning, Development & Innovation Team are currently exploring different options for enabling remote learning. We will engage with our training contacts to ascertain student requirements and the feasibility of the options available to us.

We will continue to communicate with our stakeholders, partners and associates regularly to ensure that business moves forward effectively.

We appreciate that the current circumstances are very challenging for everyone involved in delivering community justice and this situation may continue for the foreseeable future.  It is our aim to continue to take a responsible approach to both safety and continuity of our work,  and to provide as much help and support for local areas as we can.

Contact information:

Twitter: @ComJusScot

New Board members appointed to Community Justice Scotland

(Edinburgh 6 March 2020 ) – Pauline Aylesbury, Head of Marketing and Insight at Scottish Government, and Linda De Caestecker, Director of Public Health for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, have been appointed to Community Justice Scotland as Board members.

Lindsay Montgomery, Chair of Community Justice Scotland, said;

‘I am delighted to welcome Pauline and Linda to the Community Justice Scotland Board.

They have been appointed from a large and very strong field of candidates through the public appointment process. They bring valuable experience and knowledge which will strengthen, enhance and complement our already skilled and expert Board.

I look forward to working with them to drive change towards a smarter justice system and a fairer and safer Scotland for us all’


Notes to Editors

Linda de Caestecker has worked as a public health doctor for almost 30 years, latterly as Director of Public Health in Greater Glasgow and Clyde. She works in partnership with local authorities, police, third sector and other partners to improve health with a strong focus on prevention and reducing health inequalities. Linda was a member of the Commission for Women Offenders which made recommendations to improve community support to reduce re-offending. She has also worked on mental health strategies for adults and for children and young peoples. Linda is a Trustee of the Simon Community Scotland and the Mental Health Foundation. Her public health experience and understanding of health inequalities bring a commitment to excellent community justice to improve well-being and reduce offending.

Pauline Aylesbury is responsible for leading the strategic development and delivery of public information and social marketing campaigns to help improve the lives, and in some cases save the lives, of the people of Scotland. She also leads activity to promote Scotland’s reputation abroad, encouraging international audiences to live, work and study in Scotland as part of the collaborate #ScotlandIsNow umbrella strategy. A fellow of the Marketing Society, Pauline has won many awards for her work including Marketing Star of the Year in 2017 and last year she led her team to win Marketing Team of the Year 2019. She was also part of a group of female marketing leaders who brought the successful WACL Gather to Scotland to promote gender equality in the workplace. Passionate about creativity and effectiveness, Pauline is regularly a guest lecturer at universities and a key note speaker at conferences
Established in April 2017, Community Justice Scotland is responsible for promoting world-leading standards of community justice across Scotland. We provide training, support and leadership and identify expertise, promote innovation and drive change. We will change the conversation about justice and prevention of offending. Our aim is for a smarter, more effective justice system and our ambition is to reduce victims of crime, reduce offending and improve the lives of everyone.

Contact: Community Justice Scotland Communications on 0131 244 1701

Smart justice in action: employability

In 2019, Community Justice Scotland (CJS) commissioned independent research to understand the extent and nature of the employment of people with convictions in small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in Scotland. This research indicates that more than half of SMEs in Scotland have already employed someone with a conviction. And, the majority said it had been a positive experience for them or the employee. Employers have said that being open to people with convictions gives them access to a wider talent pool. So, what’s stopping you from employing someone with a conviction?

The campaign

We have developed a campaign is aimed at the 170,000+ SMEs across Scotland. Our goal is to communicate the benefits of employing people with convictions (both to the individual and organisation) and start to challenge some of the perceived barriers.

To start this conversation, we have created a new animation which sits online in our smart justice series. This 60 second film aims to challenge some of the SMEs who are still judging people on their past. By challenging these perceptions, we are creating a fairer and safer Scotland where people who are ready to move into employment can do so.

The campaign will launch on 20 February 2020, World Day of Social Justice. Find out more and download the toolkit here.

Our National Event 2020

Please join us for our third national Community Justice Scotland event.

When: Tuesday 10 March 2020

Timings: arrival from 9.30am (10am start) closing at 4pm.

Where: Alloa Town Hall

This event will feature headline speakers and a series of workshops. It will shine the spotlight on some of the local community justice projects that are transforming lives and communities across the country, and kick-start the conversation about what we can do to make Scotland a better place for all of us.

The workshops will showcase community justice in action within local areas and will demonstrate the impact this is having on people’s lives, creating much-needed opportunity to share practice ideas and a sense of how progress is being made towards meeting the national community justice outcomes in Scotland.

As always, our event is free. Please sign up here. We look forward to welcoming you in March.

Appointment of Members to the Board of Community Justice Scotland

Scottish Ministers are looking to appoint two new Board Members who bring another perspective and enthusiasm to add to the excellent mix of skills already on the CJS Board. These two roles are very different in terms of skills and experience.  Each appointment is an opportunity to make a difference in communities across Scotland, changing lives for the better and improving safety for all.

For more information on each role and to apply click here

‘Everybody wants better for their bairns’ CJS launch part two of groundbreaking campaign

(Edinburgh – 14 November 2019) – Today Community Justice Scotland launches the second part of their national campaign aimed at changing perceptions of what justice should look like in 21st century Scotland – and, alongside colleagues from health, education, social work, justice and youth work, calls for a smarter approach to justice.

Justice is about more than the justice system.

Told through the voices of professionals, Second Chancers: Our Scotland paints a picture of collaborative and joined-up justice aimed at changing lives, tackling the underlying causes of crime and making our country a better place for everyone.

Comprising of eight new audio stories, each with its own striking image, the campaign is set to tour across Scotland as well as being available online at www.secondchancers.tv.

Second Chancers: Our Scotland gives a glimpse of what working together could achieve. The participants include:

  1. A GP working in one of the most deprived parts of Edinburgh
  2. A summary sheriff in Tayside, Central and Fife
  3. The Head Teacher of a primary school in Glasgow
  4. A mentor who works with young people who have experienced trauma
  5. A social worker based in South Lanarkshire
  6. A mentor who supports people with complex needs and trauma
  7. A custody nurse based in St Leonard’s police station
  8. A community police officer in East Dunbartonshire

The stories reveal a Scotland where deprivation, trauma, mental health and addiction lead to startling inequality – but give hope of a better future when professionals focus on seeing the human rather than squeezing them into the systems we have built to process them. Karyn McCluskey, Chief Executive of Community Justice Scotland said:

Scotland has so many dedicated and compassionate people working in health, housing, education and justice who understand how they contribute to making our communities better for everyone. We need to identify and scale-up the excellent work that is happening so that every citizen has the support they need, when they need it.

Smart justice is about more than the justice system.

It’s about prevention – and regardless of what sector you work in, we all have a role to play and a responsibility to making Scotland the safest country in the world.