Karyn McCluskey
Chief Executive
Karyn's role
Karyn McCluskey is Chief Executive of Community Justice Scotland and one of Scotland’s leading advocates for prevention, public health, and justice reform.
Community Justice Scotland works hard to create better outcomes for those who have broken the law, their families and victims of crime. She provides leadership in a highly complex sector that covers multiple professionals and organisations.
Karyn writes a column for The Scotsman and a fortnightly LinkedIn newsletter – subscribe free here.
Background
Karyn originally trained as a nurse and psychologist, she spent more than 20 years in policing and played a key role in establishing Scotland’s Violence Reduction Unit, helping to pioneer the internationally recognised public health approach to violence prevention.
She leads national efforts to reduce offending and reoffending by tackling the underlying causes of crime, including trauma, addiction, homelessness, and inequality. Karyn is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and a Fellow of the Faculty of Public Health. She is Chair of the Centre for Justice Innovation and River Garden, a residential rehabilitation facility, and serves as a Non-Executive Director of the Scottish Professional Football League. She is also a trustee of Simon Community Scotland, a homelessness charity, and PEEK, which supports children and young people through play in Glasgow.