Meeting of the Parliament 11 February 2016
It is a pleasure to speak in this stage 3 debate on the Community Justice (Scotland) Bill. Being a current member of the Justice Committee, I have seen the bill make its way through Parliament at all stages and I have heard from fellow MSPs, Government ministers and, of course, groups and organisations that have an interest in the bill.
I see from the policy memorandum that the aim of the bill is to
“help create a stronger community justice system based on local collaborative strategic planning and delivery, with national leadership, support and assurance”.
It is on that basis that I will speak today.
The new model for community justice includes national leadership and oversight, and support for community justice services by a new body to be called community justice Scotland, and involves local strategic planning and delivery and monitoring of services by groups of community justice partners in each of Scotland’s 32 local authority areas, with Scottish ministers being responsible for a number of matters, including a national strategy and national performance framework for community justice.
Specifically on the local element, I feel that the new model for community justice achieves an appropriate balance between strong national leadership to drive forward improvements in outcomes, and local flexibility and planning in delivery of services. The new model places decision making locally with the people who know their communities best and who will be most affected by community justice issues. That means that local leadership and ownership of community justice are vital for the new arrangements’ success.
Community justice Scotland will provide leadership and strategic direction for the community justice sector and will promote best practice. The bill clarifies the relationships that will be in place locally and between community justice Scotland and partners including the police, the Scottish Prison Service and the national health service. That will help partners to prepare for their roles and to understand key processes.
I understand that the responsibility for resolving any local issues rests with the local statutory community justice partners. However, should partners request assistance on issues that they have not been able to resolve locally, community justice Scotland will be able to offer support and advice.
The strength of the new legislation lies in ensuring that those who have paid their debt to society have the support in place to become valued members of the community.
Audit Scotland stated that there is an urgent need for a more strategic approach to planning, designing and delivering services at national and community justice levels. There are many different bodies involved in the planning, design and delivery of services for offenders—that range of bodies creates a complex landscape. The new model in the Community Justice (Scotland) Bill brings coherence to the cluttered landscape of criminal justice by providing for strategic direction, strong leadership and an holistic and collective approach to planning, reporting and commissioning of services.
I welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to reducing re-offending and securing better outcomes through community justice services, and that it is working in partnership with organisations and communities to reduce re-offending and deliver better outcomes for offenders and communities. The Scottish Government has a clear vision for fairer justice, with Scotland moving towards being a society in which those who have been through the justice system, having paid their debt to society, can realise their aspirations and be supported to be active and responsible contributors to our communities as fellow citizens. The Community Justice (Scotland) Bill will help to achieve that vision, so I commend to Parliament the bill and the Government’s amendments.