Ministerial group sets out national strategy for community justice

The Ministerial Group on Offender Reintegration(MGOR) has completed a report setting out pledges to deliver improvements for the reintegration of short-term prisoners into Scottish society.

Its commitments were unveiled by Justice Secretary Michael Matheson and Fair Work Secretary Roseanna Cunningham at the start of the Third Sector Employers Forum gathering in Glasgow today.

They will form part of a new model and national strategy for community justice, to be developed alongside local government and focused on reducing re-offending, increasing public safety and reassurance, reducing stigma and lowering costs.

Among MGOR’s actions are:

• Introducing new legislation to allow greater flexibility over prison release dates. Release from custody on Fridays, or the days before public holidays, can make it difficult for people to access vital support services.

• Supporting improvements in drug and alcohol services being delivered in prison and during the transition from custody to the community.

• Extending the age range of the Community Job Scotland scheme to help more people who are experiencing barriers to employment into jobs.

• A housing project at HMP Perth to address barriers to finding stable accommodation for people on release from prison. Working with councils, immediate housing issues are being resolved in the target of five days.

• With at least a third of adult men and a tenth of women likely to have a criminal record, the ongoing consultation on reform of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, and any action taken following consultation, will tackle barriers to employment faced by those who have left prison.

The full set of commitments can be found in Annex B of the report.

Mr Matheson said: “Reoffending creates victims, damages communities, wastes potential and costs the Scottish economy around £3 billion every year.

“Tackling reoffending is a key part of this government’s justice strategy and we have already made good progress in this area.

“The reconviction rate in Scotland is now at its lowest level for 16 years and recorded crime is at a 41 year low.”

Mr Matheson added: “We have a vision of justice in Scotland where people are held to account for their offending and are then supported to be active and responsible members of society.

“Factors outside of the control of the justice system affect reoffending and the commitments in this report cover a range of Ministerial portfolios which will help those returning to their communities make a positive contribution.”