The Scottish Government

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Section 4
COMMUNICATIONS

COMMUNICATIONS

4.1 The Reducing Reoffending consultation pointed to significant communication gaps within the criminal justice system and a lack of public understanding of how the criminal justice system works. As we take forward the criminal justice reform programme, improving communication will be an essential element in promoting public confidence and trust in the efficiency and effectiveness of offender management services.

4.2 An important function for Community Justice Authorities ( CJAs) will be providing leadership in communicating clear and simple messages about developments in offender management at local level, and promoting a shared understanding of the different roles individual organisations have in promoting understanding.

The Community

4.3 Public opinion sets a powerful context for the work of offender managers. Locally and nationally, we have a responsibility to provide the public with balanced information about what happens in prisons, what community sentences involve and how well services are performing. CJAs will be expected to build links with the local media, while service deliverers need to build relationships with local communities and listen to their concerns.

Victims

4.4 We have been steadily improving our communication links with the victims of crime. We have also improved information on release dates of offenders. The needs of victims and witnesses will continue to merit high priority in the reform of offender services.

Partner bodies

4.5CJAs will need to use their contact with partner bodies to promote understanding of offender management services and the benefits to the community of all the relevant partners working together. Partner bodies can themselves play an important role as communicators, with their own staff and through their own experience of working with the media.

Offenders and their families

4.6 Communicating clearly to offenders and their families and seeking their views on the system is an area which should be developed.

Sentencers

4.7 Good communications are needed with sentencers at local and national level, to ensure that we benefit from their experience and that their information needs are understood.

In the period to April 2008

The NAB will

• Review the national profile and coverage of offender management and provide advice to the Executive on its communications needs and strategy.

The Executive will

• Promote a balanced understanding of offender management at national level.
• Continue to support the "information for sentencers" website, which provides easily-accessible information on the full range of national statutory non-custodial disposals available in Scotland as well as the complete range of national and local probation support programmes.

CJAs will

• Include a local communications strategy in their area plans.
• Work with partners to deliver the local communications strategy, providing leadership and identifying clear messages.
• Build relationships with the local media to promote understanding of the work of offender management services.
• Use the area planning process to explore how communications with offenders and their families can be used to engage them constructively in the development of services.

Local authorities will

• Support CJAs in promoting local understanding of the work of criminal justice services.
• Use their links to communities to build relationships, listen to concerns and provide information.
• Ensure as appropriate that their staff understand the changes taking place in offender management and are familiar with the national strategy.

SPS will

• Support CJAs in promoting local understanding of the work of prisons.
• Work directly with the media at local and national level to explain the work of prisons.
• Ensure as appropriate that their staff understand the changes taking place in offender management and are familiar with the national strategy.

Partner Bodies will

• Promote understanding of offender services among their staff and the public as appropriate.
• Ensure as appropriate that their staff understand the changes taking place in offender management and are familiar with the national strategy.

Inspectorates and other independent and advisory bodies will support these changes:

• By making their findings easily available and promoting balanced coverage of their findings.

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