MSPs Briefing - Executive Debate on Reducing
Re-offending
Introduction
On Thursday 29th April the Parliament will debate an Executive
motion on reducing re-offending and improving the effectiveness
of custodial and non-custodial sentences. UNISON Scotland welcomes
this debate in the Scottish Parliament, particularly given the
current Executive consultation exercise on reducing re-offending
and the proposals contained therein to radically restructure the
criminal justice system in Scotland
This briefing covers this issue and related matters that may
be raised during the debate.
UNISON Scotland believes that many of the proposals
outlined in the current Executive consultation document are falsely
premised on the assumption that sentencing systems alone can have
a significant impact on reducing re-offending. We believe that
they cannot. UNISON Scotland believes that it is essential that
custodial sentencing is integrated with other services that aim
both to build offenders' capabilities and provide realistic opportunities
for moving away from law-breaking lifestyles. It is the opinion
of our members in Social Work Criminal Justice (SWCJ) services
that properly resourced community-based disposals are more effective
in reducing re-offending than imprisonment.
UNISON Scotland is strongly opposed to Executive
proposals for the establishment of a single agency to deliver
custodial and non-custodial sentences. Our opposition to the merging
of Social Work Criminal Justice (SWCJ) services with the Prison
Service is based on the following factors;
1. The policy does not fit the stated objective
There has been no explanation by Ministers as to how creating
a centralised single correctional agency will achieve the objective
of reducing re-offending rates. There is certainly no evidence
to support the supposition that merging Social Work Criminal Justice
services with the Prison Service will reduce re-offending. Evidence
from international research and from Scottish studies shows that
non-custodial sentences and probation are more effective in reducing
the likelihood of re-offending than custodial sentences.
2. Social Work Criminal Justice services are not failing
There is no evidence to suggest that Social Work Criminal Justice
services in Scotland are not working. The Executives concerns
in regards to sentencing and re-offending are not indicative of
failures of social work. There are countless examples of how,
when supplied with the appropriate resources, local authority
Social Work Criminal Justice teams are successful in addressing
re-offending behaviour, making communities safer and preventing
the need for custodial sentences.
3. The existence of a different ethos between
the Prison Service and the Social Work system.
The SWCJ workforce is an extremely well qualified
and experienced workforce, who have built up excellent local knowledge
of the communities in which they work. They work closely with
other agencies, view themselves as an integral component of the
wider social work service and crucially deliver a 'social
work service' within criminal justice.
UNISON Scotland fails to see how shoehorning SWCJ services into
a single agency, whose dominant mode of delivery will be based
on 'correctional' and 'punitive' measures will help reduce re-offending
rates. There is little, if any, evidence of correctional services
being able to effectively integrate with other services such as
social work services and to excel in developing the wider welfare
role that is the strength of criminal justice social work services.
4. Diversion of resources away from front-line
services into unaccountable quango
UNISON Scotland believes that the establishment of yet another
unelected quango would further weaken local democracy and reduce
further the involvement of locally elected representatives in
the provision of services to offenders. A new quango would mean
the removal of yet more vital services from local democratic control
in addition to making it immeasurably more difficult to exploit
the close working relationship between the various local authority
services – social work, housing, education and community services
– and between councils and other public and voluntary sector agencies.
Contacts list:
Dave Watson - d.watson@unison.co.uk
@ The P&I Team
14 West Campbell St
Glasgow G26RX
Tel 0845 355 0845
Fax 0141-307 2572
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