Community Justice Scotland

The vision of Community Justice Scotland is that ‘Scotland is a safer, fairer and more inclusive nation’ where we:

Prevent and reduce further offending by addressing its underlying causes
Safely and effectively manage and support those who have committed offences to help them reintegrate into the community and realise their potential for the benefit of all citizens

The principles which underpin this vision are:

People must be held to account for their offences, in a way that recognises the impact on victims of crime and is mindful of risks to the public, while being proportionate and reducing further offending
Re-integrating those who have committed offences into the community, and helping them to realise their potential, will create a safer and fairer society for all
Every intervention should maximise opportunities for preventing and reducing offending as early as possible, before problems escalate
Community justice outcomes cannot be improved by one stakeholder alone. We must work in partnership to address these complex issues
Informed communities who participate in community justice will lead to more effective services and policies with greater legitimacy
High quality, person-centred and collaborative services should be available to address the needs of those who have committed offences, their families, and victims of crime

There are seven core outcomes and four structural outcomes:

Communities improve their understanding and participation in community justice
Partners plan and deliver services in a more strategic and collaborative way
People have better access to the services they require, including welfare, health and wellbeing, housing and employability
Effective interventions are delivered to prevent and reduce the risk of further offending

Three person-centric outcomes

Life chances are improved through needs, including health, financial inclusion, housing and safety being addressed
People develop positive relationships and more opportunities to participate and contribute through education, employment and leisure activities
Individual’s resilience and capacity for change and self-management are enhanced