This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Social workers urged to help cut re-offending
21/11/2003
Senior social work managers were urged today to 'opt in' to the forthcoming consultation on improving offender management and reducing re-offending.
Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson told Scotland's Directors of Social Work services at a criminal justice social work conference held today in Dunblane that the forthcoming consultation on proposals to reform Scotland's correctional agencies was an opportunity for the profession and not a threat.
The Minister said:
"Too often prison and sentences within the community represent a revolving door for offenders. Within four years of sentence completion 71 per cent of custodial offenders; 68 per cent of probation offenders and 55 per cent of community service offenders reoffend.
"We need to take urgent action to break this cycle and ensure that offenders receive the necessary support and rehabilitation that will deter them from future crime.
"One of the weaknesses in our current criminal justice structure is the division between prison based services and those offered by criminal justice social work departments.
"Both groups often deal with the same people, yet do not have common information systems. Both may offer similar programmes but not have the same quality standards or be able to share resources.
"I was staggered to learn that no organisation has a responsibility to reduce re-offending.
"Other countries have faced similar problems and have brought together the responsibility for delivering custodial and non-custodial sentences into a single structure. Such structures have brought a number of benefits: clear accountability for reducing offending leading to shared values across the organisation; better information sharing and spreading of good practice; and a consistent approach to risk management leading to improved public safety.
"We should be open to learn from international experience while finding the right structure in Scotland which will tackle the problems we have identified and support the other reforms to the criminal justice system.
"I believe that bold steps are needed to restore public confidence in the system. I believe that our forthcoming consultation on a sharper, smarter system of managing offenders is an opportunity for criminal justice social work professionals - and not a threat.
"In reforming our criminal justice system to tackle re-offenders we will go as far as it takes. That is my direct invitation to you. Join us, bring your experience and your expertise and apply it to the problem we have talked about for too long. The critical issue of re-offending. The issue that stands between us and real, sustained reduction in crime and real sustained increase in public safety.
"I know what we need to achieve but I will consider openly, with all those who want to be constructively engaged with us, the design of how we get there. You can help define that process - or you can sit back, opt out, and let others define you as a profession for years to come."
The Scottish Executive intends to publish a consultation paper at the turn of the year setting out for consideration some options for an organisational structure which is right for Scotland. For example;
• A new organisation to bring together the functions of both prisons and criminal justice social work - providing full integration of both strategy and delivery.
• A National Criminal Justice Service could improve consistency and standards of offender programmes across Scotland and allow the rapid sharing of best practice.
• The establishment of a Commissioner or Board overseeing the activities of the Prison Service and the Criminal Justice Social Work Service could facilitate the joining-up of offender management.
• The provision of statutory powers to a Commissioner or Board could provide accountability against our targets of reducing reoffending and lowering the prison population.