Community Justice seeks to prevent and reduce offending in a fair and effective way by addressing its underlying causes, increasing positive citizenship, increasing public safety and re-assurances and reduce costs. It is vital that the model includes victims and witnesses of crime; people who have offended their families; business and local companies.
If you would like more information on how Community Justice works in Angus contact us on 01307 492150. For a look at the national picture visit Community Justice Scotland.
Visit our unpaid work page if you are a member of a group or organisation in Angus and you have a community project that community service unpaid workers can assist with.
The Angus Community Justice Partnership brings together stakeholders from the public, private and third sectors to develop and deliver a Community Justice Outcomes Improvement Plan. Angus Community Justice priorities have been identified in line with the National Community Justice Strategy.
The priorities are:
Improved community understanding and participation in community justice:
- develop a stronger evidence base for 'what works' in community justice
- support effective community and voluntary sector engagement in community justice
- increase awareness of community justice issues and the range of interventions available to tackle them
- develop community/voluntary sector capacity to support co-production and co-delivery of services
Partners plan and deliver services in a more strategic way:
- utilise the community justice Profile to inform the future delivery of services
- integrate non statutory partners ie voluntary/private sector into community justice planning structure and processes
- share information about effective interventions, as well as client data where appropriate
- focus partnership interventions on early intervention
- establish effective links with community planning and children and adults services
- develop a more strategic approach to commissioning
- explore the potential for developing shared services with others local authorities
- direct resources towards services, programmes and projects which can demonstrate impact of delivery improved community justice outcomes
- identify and address workforce development needs
- produce a performance and self-evaluation framework to measure the impact of the Community Justice Outcomes Improvement Plan
Effective interventions are delivered to prevent and reduce the risk of further offending:
- develop and deliver an appropriate range of interventions to meet individual needs and reduce re-offending
- further develop individuals resilience and capacity for self-management and change
- improve life chances by identifying and addressing individuals service needs including those relating to health, financial inclusion, housing, safety, employability and support in maintaining relationships
- develop more consistent graded responses to compliance based on support rather than punishment
People involved in the community justice system will have a greater access to services:
- develop more effective engagement with the children and families of those who have offended
- identify and address the barriers stopping offenders and their families accessing services
- improve the outcomes for the victims and witnesses of crime
- perform early assessment of service users housing needs to maximise positive housing outcomes
- identify and address health improvement opportunities along every step of the community justice pathway
- improve service users access to financial/welfare advice services
- establish employability skills, training and lifelong learning at the heart of local planning
- review and further develop prisoners' pathways from custody into communities