Conference highlights value of restorative justice schemes

Sheriff Joseph C Hughes was invited to chair the conference following his recent visit to justice services to meet staff and service users.

He welcomed keynote speakers Karyn McCluskey, chief executive of Community Justice Scotland, James Docherty, policy advisor for Community Justice Scotland and Iain Smith, a leading trauma-informed solicitor.

Mr Smith said: “It was a privilege for me to be part of the council’s 2022 Digital Justice Conference. It gave me an invaluable insight into the excellent work of multiple Justice Partners. The Judiciary is but one partner. I look forward to strengthening all our relationships in the future. As Helen Keller said: ‘Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much’.

“I wish North Lanarkshire Council’s Justice Social Work Services and its many partners every success for 2023.”

St Brendans Primary School choir and The NL Creative Arts team also performed at the conference and were joined by councillor Angela Campbell, convener of Education and Families and Derek Brown, deputy chief executive of North Lanarkshire Council.

Ms Campbell said: “Through collaboration and networking at events such as this, we can work together to identify new ways of working to improve service delivery for the people we aim to support.”

One of the topics discussed was restorative justice and a recent report has highlighted that people undertaking community payback orders in North Lanarkshire completed 53,464 hours of unpaid work hours between March 2021 and April 2022.

Community payback orders were initially introduced in 2011 and provide an alternative to custody with the intention of ensuring that people who are convicted of offences make restitution to the community and engage in services which support their rehabilitation and social inclusion.

One successful project is the restorative justice bicycle workshop, which has seen 203 bikes distributed to people in communities across the area. It particularly benefits children, young people, and families who are unable to afford the cost of a bike or its repair.

The service has also given help to local communities by offering bike maintenance and repair. Bikes have also been given to victims of bike theft, particularly those who had no insurance or the financial means to replace them.