Over the coming weeks, we will alsdo be sharing these priorities across our social media channels, exploring each in more detail.
These priorities are grounded in our work across the country. They reflect what people who use Sacro’s services tell us about their experiences of remand, court, custody and community supervision. They also reflect the operational realities facing housing, health, social care and justice services.
Scotland has spent years examining how the justice system needs to change. We have the reports. We have the legislation. We know what works.
But too often, people only receive coordinated support once they reach the justice system. By that stage, housing instability, trauma, mental health needs and poverty have already escalated. Courts are then asked to respond to situations that have been building over time, where options are more limited and the consequences more severe.
What is often described as a justice issue is frequently the result of unmet need elsewhere. Housing, health and social care services are already in contact with many of the people who later appear in court.
The systems around justice are under pressure. Prison capacity remains stretched. Housing shortages affect release planning. Workforce pressures shape delivery across sectors. Prevention and early intervention remain uneven.
In this series, we explore:
Each section sets out a clear reform priority. Practical changes that would strengthen stability, proportionality and public safety for people and communities across Scotland.
What we need now is support. Support for people, support for infrastructure, and support to ensure services work together in practice.
This means earlier access to stable housing, timely mental health support and support for alcohol and drug use, and consistent community supervision that people can rely on.
This approach improves decision-making, reduces reoffending and strengthens long-term public safety.
Because when people get the right support at the right time, fewer situations escalate, fewer people end up in court, and fewer custodial sentences are needed. People are more likely to be understood, and less likely to be judged.
Scotland does not lack ideas about how the justice system should change.
This series has set out five priorities for Scotland’s justice system.
These priorities are connected.
Justice involvement does not begin in court. It reflects earlier experiences of housing instability, unmet health needs and fragmented support. Decisions about custody are shaped by the availability of credible alternatives. Stability depends on services working together, and on systems that people can understand, trust and engage with.
Scotland does not lack evidence or direction. The difference now is not new ideas, but the need to implement what we already know works, consistently and at scale.
What is needed is sustained investment in support, earlier intervention and systems that work together in practice. When that support is in place, fewer situations escalate, fewer people reach the point of crisis, and fewer custodial sentences are required.
We welcome engagement and discussion at: #MoreSupportLessJudgement
