Articles & News

March 25, 2008

Improving public safety through community based services in Scotland

Source: Scottish Government, Published on eGov monitor - A Policy Dialogue Platform at http://www.egovmonitor.com
Source URL: http://www.egovmonitor.com/node/17862

More than £850,000 to help national voluntary organisations to deliver community-based criminal justice services was announced today.

Apex Scotland, SACRO, Families Outside and NCH will all share the funding for the next financial year to provide employment-related guidance and training for offenders and ex-offenders and support children and families affected by imprisonment.

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said:

"These organisations perform an essential role in helping to reintegrate offenders into the community.

"They provide the kind of crucial support that can often make the difference between prisoners turning their lives around or being caught in the revolving door of short jail terms.

"They can help ensure a smoother transition from prison into employment, family life and the wider community - providing offenders with the opportunity to rebuild their lives and avoid further offending.

"I am determined to break Scotland's cycle of criminality. We will make every effort to prevent crime - but where it does occur we must have the services in place to support and challenge offenders. The voluntary sector provides crucial guidance at important times in an offender's life - offering them a positive alternative and a path out of repeat offending. Not just good for the individual - but good for public safety and our economy."

Sacro Chief Executive Susan Matheson said:

"We welcome the Government's leadership and determination that community penalties will play an increasing role in the essential drive to reduce the prison population.

"Imprisoning the poor and the vulnerable uses up resources that need to be going to community sentences. Every court needs to be sure that a community sentence will start immediately and that all the resources are in place to make it work."

Bernadette Monaghan, Chief Executive of Apex Scotland, said:

"APEX is delighted with the ongoing support received from the Scottish Government's Criminal Justice Directorate, without which it would not be able to operate its full range of services to offenders

"We look forward to working closely with our partners over the coming year to achieve better outcomes for offenders and for communities, and thus contribute to the aim of reducing reoffending."

Sacro is one of the main voluntary sector providers of services to Criminal Justice Social Work in Scotland. Its mission is to reduce conflict and offending and to make communities safer. The level of government funding being provided to Sacro in 2008-09 is £380,005.

Apex Scotland specialises in employment related guidance and training for offenders/ex-offenders. Apex aim to reduce rates of re-offending by improving the ability of the offenders, ex-offenders and young people at risk to gain employment. The level of government funding being provided to Apex in 2008-09 is £382,693.

NCH provides a range of programmes for young offenders, including those on probation orders and at the interface of the hearings and adult criminal justice services. They provide opportunities for young people often from disadvantaged backgrounds to fulfill their potential through behaviour management, positive recreation and access to education, training and employability. The level of funding being provided to NCH in 2008-09 is £53,052.

Families Outside aim to ensure that children and families affected by imprisonment in Scotland are afforded the recognition, respect, compassion, information and support they need. The level of funding being provided to Families Outside in 2008-09 is £58,813.

The total allocation of Section 10 funding for 2008-09 for these four national voluntary organisations from the Scottish Government is £874,563.