Scottish Government

re:duce • re:habilitate • re:form
CONSULTATION ON REDUCING REOFFENDING IN SCOTLAND
ANALYSIS OF FOCUS GROUP RESPONSES

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CONTENTS

Executive Summary

SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND
THE TARGETED FOCUS GROUPS AND INTERVIEWS
The nature of the focus groups / interviews
The nature of the discussions
ANALYSIS OF THE DATA
THE REPORT

SECTION 2: ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
STRENGTHS OF THE CURRENT SYSTEM
Specific forms of provision
Organisational / structural issues
WEAKNESSES OF THE CURRENT SYSTEM
Overall lack of provision
Lack of information to offenders
Provision in prison
Community provision
Provision of particular services
Organisational / structural problems
IMPROVEMENTS TO SERVICES
Overall provision
Information
Improvements to individual services
The organisation and structure of services
OBJECTIVES OF SERVICE PROVIDERS
The need for shared objectives
Means of identifying shared objectives
Suggested objectives
ACCOUNTABILITY
Services' accountability
Increasing accountability

SECTION 3 THE PURPOSE OF PRISON
SHORT TERM PRISONERS AND PERSISTENT OFFENDERS
Problems faced
Difficulties in addressing these issues
Suggested solutions
EFFECTIVE REINTEGRATION
Difficulties of reintegration
Means of reintegration
Provision of support to address personal issues
Development of greater links with the community prior to release
Attitudes to offenders
EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF SENTENCES
Sentence planning / sentence management

SECTION 4 ADDRESSING RE-OFFENDING
PERCEPTIONS OF THE SUCCESS OF INTERVENTIONS
Provision of appropriate support
The use of appropriate disposals
Preventive work
Other interventions
Characteristics of successful interventions
ENSURING EFFECTIVE, CONSISTENT AND COMPLEMENTARY PROVISION
Perceptions of programmes
Complementary programmes
Ways of ensuring consistency / effectiveness and the delivery of complementary programmes
OVERALL IMPROVEMENTS

SECTION 5 AN INTEGRATED APPROACH
BARRIERS TO INTEGRATION OF PROVISION
Barriers to seamless management
OVERCOMING BARRIERS
STRUCTURAL SOLUTIONS
The development of a single agency
Other solutions
KEY AGENCIES
IMPACT ON THE CHILDREN'S HEARING SYSTEM
Effectiveness of the children's hearing system
The need for support
Lessons

SECTION 6 EFFECTIVENESS AND VALUE FOR MONEY
PERCEPTIONS OF EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS
Sources of inefficiency and ineffectiveness
PROMOTING EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS
USE OF RESOURCES
Current use of resources
Promoting value for money
OTHER ISSUES
The consultation
The next stages

ANNEX 1 THE CONSULTATION QUESTIONS

ANNEX 2 METHOD OF ANALYSIS

ANNEX 3 GROUPS AND INTERVIEWS