| Foreword |
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| We were elected in May 1997 on a promise to
be tough on crime and the causes of crime. The Government's paramount concern is public
safety and a belief that everyone should feel safe in their communities and in their own
homes. That means protecting the public by crime prevention and by dealing effectively
with crime when it is committed. But our promise, and our distinctive approach, means
attacking the causes of crime and disorder, as well as crime itself. |
|
| We have, therefore, developed a strategic
approach which recognises that crime is a complex problem which needs a comprehensive and
thoughtful range of solutions. It is a people's agenda, devised to address concerns
expressed up and down the country. |
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| The Government's approach is
based on four key principles. |
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| First, action to protect the public, prevent
the commission of crime and detect crimes once committed through a wide range of 'target
hardening' initiatives and through strong and active policing. |
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| Second, action to tackle the social causes of
crime: low income, poor housing, low school attainment, community disorganisation and
neglect. This we are doing through our wide-ranging social inclusion policies. We insist
that individuals must take responsibility for their criminal behaviour: but long-term
public safety requires us to address the fact that the roots of crimes are often to be
found in underlying social problems. |
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| Third, when crime is detected, offenders need
to be brought to justice promptly and to be dealt with effectively. This we are doing
through a range of actions on efficiency in the criminal justice system and by developing
new penalties for the courts to use. |
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| Fourth, we must ensure fairness for all those
involved in the criminal justice system. We must look after victims and witnesses, without
whose help cases could not be proved. We must deal with miscarriages of justice. |
| Prisons must be secure but also humane and
must encourage offenders to examine and change their offending behaviour. This we are
doing through our investment in victim support and the development of prison buildings and
regimes. |
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| These are the key principles underlying the
strategy which is described in this paper. The Government's emphasis is on long-term
planning to produce long-term results and the paper provides a description of what we have
done, what we plan to do and how it all fits together to improve public safety for all
those who live in Scotland. |
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| From this summer, the Scottish Parliament
will provide the forum for considering any necessary changes to the criminal law. The
creation of the Parliament will help ensure in this field, as in others, that Scottish
solutions are devised to meet Scottish problems |
|
 |
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| Rt. Hon. Donald Dewar MP, Secretary of State
for Scotland |
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