Welcome to our Annual Reporter

In this Reporter you will find articles from our Community Justice Glasgow Team, our direct partners and wider 3rd Sector and grass roots stakeholders, all of whom play a vital role in contributing to reducing re-offending in Glasgow.

You can browse across the touch points of the Justice System by CLICKING ON THE TABS at the top of the page or by KEY WORDS i.e. ‘Youth’ or ‘Health’ or organisation such as ‘HSCP’ by CLICKING ON THE SEARCH ICON at the top of the page.

As a starting point for some context why not jump in on these 2 Audio Documentaries:

Welcome to our 2023-2024 Annual Reporter.

BY MARGARET SMITH, Manager, Community Justice Glasgow

As in previous editions we hope that the 2023-24 Annual Reporter – covering the period 01/04/2023 to 31/03/2024 – will be engaging, increase your awareness, knowledge and understanding of Community Justice.

Moreover, this year I hope that, in a time where there is significant hardship including funding pressures across all sectors, a cost of living crisis – creating increased levels of poverty and inequality and need for services and support, unprecedented and sustained increases in prison numbers and the remnants of the impact of the Covid 19 Pandemic, we can put a focus on some of the very positive partnership working that goes on in Glasgow and spotlight some the excellent work that contributes to reducing re-offending in our city – despite the significant difficulties they are facing in delivering.

In difficult times, there is more temptation to internalise and return to silo working. I strongly believe – and the Glasgow Community Justice Partnership is testament to this – that a partnership approach, working and problem solving together across the Third Sector and Public Sector, is the only way that we will create better outcomes, particularly in tough times. It is vital that we pool our resources and use them as effectively as possible to support the people that need them.

I take pleasure in showcasing in our Annual Reporter some of that fantastic work and our team here at Community Justice Glasgow will continue to support the partnership to do that. Community Justice at its very core is about bringing those resources around people in the most efficient and effective ways, to create pathways to better futures for themselves and for the communities they live in – resulting in fewer victims of crime and safer communities for us all.

The Vision for Justice in Scotland highlights that:

“We will experience a reduction in crime and unintentional harm in our communities, improving all of our life chances by tackling societal issues like poverty, including child poverty, mental ill health, addiction and adverse childhood experiences.”

We know that people who come into contact with any, or as is sometimes the case, all of the touchpoints of the justice system (from very early risk-taking behaviours to arrest, through sentencing and re-integration) are more likely than the general population to face significant barriers to accessing services and pathways to the supports they need. They will have significant health and social care as well as many other unmet needs that have underpinned their journey into the justice system.

Community Justice will always, and rightly so, hold people to account for their actions, however, we know from a strong and growing evidence base, that a rehabilitative focus (one that addresses the very things that bring people into contact with the justice system in the first instance) that can be delivered through levers such as Diversion from Prosecution, or Community Sentences – have better success in reducing the risk that people will re-offend than short-term prison sentences or punishment alone.

The National Strategy for Community Justice states that:

“Community Justice is principally about organisations working together to ensure that people who have offended address the underlying causes of their behaviour and pay back to the community where appropriate. It aims to encourage rehabilitation, reduce reoffending, and protect the public, leading to fewer victims and safer communities.”

Understanding and acting on the underlying needs or drivers of people who come into contact with the justice system is crucial if we are to realise Scotland’s vision for justice.

I hope that you enjoy reading about some of the positive work that supports making Glasgow a fairer and more equitable city – one which gives all of its citizens the chance to flourish and improve their life chances and choices.