Offender Management

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Programme

AGENDA *subject to change

08:45 Registration and refreshments

09:25 Welcome and introduction by the conference chair
Rt. Hon. Henry McLeish

Session one: Reviewing the Scottish Justice System

The Government have made clear their commitment to tackling the numerous issues around managing offenders through their reducing reoffending programme and the recently announced Change Fund, whilst simultaneously taking proactive steps to reduce those entering the system through a raft of prevention and intervention measures. This opening session will be a chance to hear about some of the recent, ongoing and forthcoming work at national level and discuss alternatives to the current system

09:30 National commitments and priorities
Joe Griffin, Deputy Director of Community Justice, The Scottish Government

National commitments and priorities
Ongoing and forthcoming work around intervention, prevention and reducing reoffending

09:55 The way forward?
Derek McGill, Governor, HMP Barlinnie - on behalf of the Scottish Prison Service

Exploring alternatives to imprisonment and reducing the pressure [on the Scottish prison service]
Community sentencing as a valid alternative

10:15 Questions and discussion

10:35 Refreshments

Session Two: Progressing the prevention agenda

The cost of hosting an adult prisoner in jail is estimated at £32,000 per annum, and up to £250,000 pa for young people, under 16 years old, being held in a secure unit. The bare financial costs of such a high imprisonment rate must be addressed as the country tries to find its feet again post recession, not to mention the valuable long term economic and social benefits prevention and intervention has been proven to reap. This session will look at how to find the will, and the way, to progress the prevention agenda, steering young people and those most vulnerable away from a life of crime.

10:55 Keynote address from Brigadier Hugh Monro CBE, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons

11:20 Case study: Family Action in Rogerfield and Easterhouse (FARE)
Rosemary Dickson, Chief Executive Officer and Jimmy Wilson, Service Manager

The Mer Tae Me and Streetwyze projects - addressing and stemming ASB and gang violence

11:40 The Whole Systems Approach
Daniel Kleinberg, Head of Youth Justice, The Scottish Government
with Karen Aitken, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service

Introduction to the Whole Systems Approach - streamlined and consistent planning, assessment and decision making processes for young people who offend
The Whole Systems Approach - diversion away from prosecution
Lessons from local implementation - results so far
Plans for national roll out

12:00 Questions and discussion

12:25 Refreshments

Session Three: Offender reform and reducing reoffending

Along with early stage intervention and prevention, the Scottish Government have committed to reducing reoffending and offender rehabilitation as one of their key priorities in the current term. This verbal commitment was reflected in £7.5m Reducing Reoffending Change Fund announced in 2011, along with other Change Funds and additional financial support for a number of successful programmes and initiatives. In this session delegates will consider some of the programmes currently recognised to be achieving change in reducing reoffending and changing behaviour before hearing first hand experience of reform.

13:25 Case study 1: The Wise Group
Laurie Russell, Chief Executive, The Wise Group

Routes out of prison - helping prisoners acquire life, social and employment skills needed to rejoin society

13:45 Case study 2: Rehabilition without bars - Community based approaches to reducing reoffending
Martin Cawley, Chief Executive, Turning Point Scotland

The innovative 218 service for women and Turnaround service for men - providing intensive support, addressing root causes of offending behaviour such as substance misuse or mental health issues
The need for safe, supported accommodation

14:05 Keynote address: Changing paths - a first hand account
Mark Johnson, Founder, User Voice

Breaking down the barriers and developing a deeper understanding - what really works?
Where does policy need to go?

14:30 Questions and discussion

14:55 Refreshments

Session Four: The future face of Scotland's Justice System

This final session will consider where we go next and the opportunities to change, improve and build on the current system. Community Payback Orders and Restorative Justice, for example, have both been used as a means to help address the revolving prison door in Scotland - but to what success? What would further adoption of these mean for how justice is delivered in Scotland and how offenders are managed before, during and after sentencing? To close, delegates will hear about some of the activity around penal reform locally, nationally and internationally identifying how this relates to Scotland and the core priorities of reducing offending and imprisonment in Scotland.

15:15 Community Payback Orders
Sean McKendrick, Head of Service (Criminal Justice), Glasgow City Council

Context, function and objectives
Opportunities for utilising CPOs in the future, to reduce number of offenders in Scotland

15:30 Restorative Justice
Tom Halpin, Chief Executive, SACRO

The challenges and opportunities of restorative justice
Restorative justice as a means of real, long term change

15:45 Keynote address: Where to next?
Frances Crook, Chief Executive, Howard League for Penal Reform
with Professor Mike Nellis, Board Member, Howard League in Scotland

Addressing key issues in Scotland and the wider UK
Penal reform on the world stage - international issues, work with the UN and the Council of Europe
Where to next for Scotland?