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Introducing Restorative Practices into Scottish Schools

In 2004, the Scottish Executive allocated funding for a 30-month pilot project to introduce restorative practices into schools in three Local Authorities. An August 2007 evaluation report outlines the implementation process for the different areas and the progress made in establishing restorative practices in the school.

Lloyd, Gwynedd and Riddell, Sheila and McCluskey, Gillean and Weedon, Elisabet and Riddell, Sheila and Kane, Jean and Weedon, Elisabet and Stead, Joan and Riddell, Sheila and McCluskey, Gillean and Kane, Jean. Restorative Approaches in Scottish Schools: Transformations and Challenges.

This presentation will give some findings from our evaluation of a pilot project funded by the government in Scotland. I will mainly talk in my presentation about some of the important themes, issues and challenges that have emerged from the project. If conference participants wish to know more, they can attend a workshop with two university colleagues and two staff from Scottish schools, one elementary and one high school, offering some real, detailed stories from their schools. My intention is to inform, stimulate and perhaps provoke you with some ideas and to tell (and show you) a little about Scotland. (excerpt)

McAra, Lesley. Welfare in Crisis?: Key Developments in Scottish Youth Justice.

This chapter reviews the history of the Scottish juvenile justice system and analyzes recent reforms. The Scottish juvenile justice system, which enjoyed a high degree of stability from the 1970s through the mid-1990s, has recently undergone significant changes. Despite the inclusion of restorative practices in Scotland’s juvenile justice system, the author warns that youth justice is in danger of losing its distinctive Scottish identity: the protection of children. The Scottish juvenile justice system has historically been based on the Kilbrandon philosophy that the problems of children who offended or were in need of protection stemmed from the same source: failures in the upbringing process and/or broader social ills. A central feature of juvenile justice from the 1970s through the mid-1990s was the children’s hearing system, which considered the best interests of the child as paramount to the disposition. The author contends that a moral panic concerning persistent young offenders and anti-social behavior among youth during the 1990s has ushered in a new era of juvenile justice in Scotland, one that is underpinned by a complex set of penal rationales that, in some cases, locate the interest of society above the interest of the child. The key themes of recent juvenile justice reforms are described, which include a focus on crime prevention and risk management as well as increased system accountability. Police powers have been expanded to allow for the containment of anti-social behaviors, which has had a “net-widening” effect in terms of increasing juvenile contact with the formal justice system. At the same time, restorative practices have been adopted that include victims as key stakeholders in the justice process. The author also considers future prospects for the Scottish juvenile justice system that focus on persistent young offenders, victims’ engagement in the youth justice process, engagement with “failing” parents, and the mobilization of the community in youth justice practice and policy. (Abstract courtesy of the National Criminal Justice Reference Service, www.ncjrs.gov).

Lewis, Lesley. Glasgow Restorative Justice Service.

In March 2002 the Scottish Executive announced the award of funding for restorative justice services as an approach to addressing youth offending across Scotland. Thus began a project which cumulated in the launch of a city-wide Restorative Justice Service (RJS) in August 2003. Since its inception 3 years ago the RJS has expanded significantly and has an intrinsic part of the city's approach to tackling youth offending and anti-social behaviour. The service is recognised as a model of good practice nationally.(excerpt)

Brookes, Derek. RJ in Scotland.

There is an increasing recognition in Scotland of the importance of restorative approaches as one way of preventing and responding to antisocial behaviour by young people.The Scottish Executive has recently published Guidance on Acceptable Behaviour Contracts,which contains a section on restorative processes . The approach outlined is currently being tested by several RJ services. (excerpt)

Restorative Justice Consortium.. RJC Response to the Scottish Parliament Alternatives to Custody Enquiry

Restorative Justice Consortium (UK) responds to a July 2002 letter asking for their views on the Scottish Parliament Alternatives to Custody Enquiry.

Community Mediation and Community Development In Scotland

Over 3000 community conflicts in Scotland are resolved through Community Mediation each year. The NGO Sacro has developed a series of manuals for developing a Community Mediation service. The final manual addresses the role of community mediation in fostering community development. In this article, Ian McDonough, mediation adviser for Sacro, provides an overview of the manual with a link to the full-text.