RMA Responds to Scottish Government Consultations
To support the Scottish Government’s Vision for Justice and help create a modern, evidence-based justice system that meets the needs of people in Scotland, we regularly respond to relevant consultations and provide advice and guidance related to our functions. Recently, we’ve responded to The Prison Population and Penal Reform Consultation and The National Strategy For Community Justice Review Consultation.
These consultations both focus on different parts of the justice system and how it operates, but they share key areas of focus, these are:
- Early intervention & prevention, reducing offending, and reducing interaction with the justice system;
- Greater use of community-based interventions and alternatives to custody, where appropriate;
- Increasing consistency around rehabilitation and reintegration, with more effective use of community supervision and support;
- Improving access to housing, health, mental health, substance use and wider support services;
- Throughcare, support and transition from custody to the community;
- Effective risk assessment, risk management and public protection arrangements;
- Strong multi-agency partnership working, including information sharing and co-ordinated service delivery;
- Ensuring community justice services have sufficient capacity and resources to manage increasing demand safely and effectively;
- Supporting community safety and maintaining public confidence, while reducing an over-reliance on custody.
As detailed in the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003, we exist to ensure the effective assessment and minimisation of risk. Our views are aligned with the values, principles and standards outlined within the Framework For Risk Assessment, Management and Evaluation (FRAME) and the Standards and Guidelines for Risk Management, which provide Scotland’s agreed approach to risk assessment and risk management across the justice system.
We recognise there is a need to deliver a more effective approach to custody, whilst also acknowledging that prison will always be necessary for those who pose a risk of serious harm. As such, our responses covered the following areas:
- Risk assessment, risk management, public protection and community safety;
- Throughcare, reintegration and continuity of risk management;
- Multi-agency collaboration and information sharing;
- Alternatives to custody and community justice interventions;
- Rehabilitation, desistance and reducing reoffending;
- Sustainable use of custody and community supervision;
- Evidence-informed practice and effective justice outcomes.
Responding to consultations is an important area of our policy work, and we welcome this opportunity to support ongoing improvements to the justice system in Scotland. Our responses will be published in due course by the Scottish Government and shared wider when available.