Community Justice Bill model aims to tackle reoffending

A new community justice model based on partnerships between agencies at local level is the focus of a new Scottish Government bill.

Under the Community Justice (Scotland) Bill, introduced at Holyrood yesterday, responsibility for local planning and monitoring of community justice services will be given to a defined set of local community justice partners, who will be tasked with engaging in local strategic planning and made accountable for its success. These include local authorities, NHS boards, police, courts, health and social care integration boards and others.

Community justice is defined as embracing giving effect to community disposals and post-release control requirements, managing and supporting offenders in the community with a view to reducing reoffending, improving access to services by offenders in the community, and preparing offenders for release from imprisonment or detention in a penal institution.

A new national body, Community Justice Scotland, will be set up to develop a national strategy and performance framework, promote innovation and provide improvement support where it is required.

Paul Wheelhouse, Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs commented: “Offending is a complex problem and there are well established links between persistent offending and poverty, homelessness, addiction and mental illness. Reoffending creates victims, damages communities and wastes potential.

“We want to work in partnership with organisations and communities to reduce reoffending and to deliver better outcomes for offenders and communities.

“We have engaged extensively with stakeholders in developing this model and share their view that community justice services should be person-centred and evidence based while making the best use of resources, all of which is reflected in today’s Bill.”

Welcoming the bill, Tom Halpin, chief executive of offender support organisation SACRO said: "This provides a strong opportunity for Scotland’s community justice services to work collaboratively and deliver reduced reoffending and safer communities.

“Working through community planning partnerships, where multi-agency working supports the delivery of joined up services with strong leadership and accountability, is key to transforming the lives of people who are motivated to desist from offending." 

Click here to access the bill and related documents. Separately the Government has published What Works to Reduce Reoffending: A Summary of the Evidence.