Scotland’s independent think tank
Introduction “I wish we’d had this conversation a year ago.” This remark, or language expressing similar sentiments, is probably the one I hear most in my professional role. For the past twenty years, my primary occupation has been to act as a mediator, assisting and indeed empowering parties who are involved in complex commercial, business, …
Transforming Dispute Resolution in Scotland – John Sturrock Read More »
If we truly want to reduce offending within our communities in Scotland then we must move beyond tokenistic, meaningless terms like being “hard” or “soft” on crime. We need to be cleverer. ‘Smart Justice’ offers a chance to stand back from the crime (the “what”) and focus on the person committing the crime (the “who”). …
Forget being hard or soft on crime – be smart instead – Iain Smith Read More »
The coronavirus (COVID-19) has fundamentally changed life for all of us, threatening the health, wellbeing and lives of people around the world. In these unprecedented times governments across the UK and internationally have had to take difficult decisions, including within our systems of justice to help combat, curtail, and control the spread of the virus. …
Mobile tech providing vital lifeline for prisoners and their families – Humza Yousaf Read More »
Maintaining family ties has proven to be vital for prisoner reform, increasing mental health, and, reducing the likelihood of reoffending. Figures have shown that prisoners who have regular contact with family are 39% less likely to reoffend on release. At this difficult time, prisoners, and their loved ones are struggling with no visits, coupled with …
It may be surprising to learn that of every three men in Scotland, one has been found guilty of committing a crime. For women it’s closer to one in ten. But behind every statistic lies a personal story and for those that are serving time, many deserve a second chance and the support to help …
Sue Ryder’s approach to giving a second chance – Stuart Mitchell Read More »
Police Scotland was set up as a single, national police force 5 years ago. The decision was highly controversial at the time and aspects of the force’s governance and accountability continue to be the subject of debate. In this note I want to offer some suggestions on how the relationship between the force and the …
Police Scotland: Giving the public a voice – David Belfall Read More »
As we are drawing to the end of the legislative process for The Social Security (Scotland) Bill it is useful to reflect on how far we have come in making sure that the people most affected by the proposed changes to Social Security are listened to and how far we may still need to go. …
Access to advocacy and the Social Security (Scotland) Bill – Arlene Astley Read More »
I was recently approached to discuss how the use of social media can be a powerful tool to influence public opinion, promote good practice and bring attention to positive news stories. This approach is generally accepted as a positive statement for good without much challenge. But what if the public opinion we seek to influence …
I Prisoners who are regularly visited by a partner or family member are 39% less likely to reoffend than those who don’t. Scotland has just 15 prisons, compared to 131 in England and Wales, so inmates’ families are far more likely to have to travel long distances to visit them. The time and expense of …