Volunteers in Inverness help communities by making garden furniture.
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VOLUNTEERS are building on helping communities by making garden furniture at a workshop in Inverness.
The helpers had previously been in touch with the justice system but decided to continue to give something back to their local area by becoming volunteers.
Some have previously carried out unpaid work as part of a sentence in the community at the Apex workshop before moving to volunteering.
As well as learning new skills – some of volunteers helping out at the Apex workshop have gone on to land jobs supporting others.
One of the places to benefit was the the Community Cupboard surplus food outlet in the garden of the SHIMCA cafe in Ardconnel Terrace, where proprietor Monica Lee-Macpherson was delighted to receive an Apex picnic table.
Most Scots see the benefits of someone who’s broken the law carrying out unpaid work as part of a sentence in the community, according to a new poll.
More than three-quarters think unpaid work improves communities and 63 per cent think it’s an opportunity for someone to learn new skills
The finding were revealed in a new YouGov survey of more than 1000 Scottish adults carried out on behalf of Community Justice Scotland (CJS).
The national body is responsible for monitoring, promoting, and supporting improvements to community justice services. Previous research has shown 70 per cent of Scots don’t know what community justice means.
But in the new study, once people understood that a community sentence is where those who have broken the law are held to account and supported to reconnect and contribute to their communities, the majority could see the benefits.
A new framing guide has also been launched by CJS to help the way people talk about community justice to increase public awareness and confidence in it as a sentencing option.
Where it is safe to do so, people who commit certain crimes receive community-based sentences.
This can include treatment for underlying issues such as drug or alcohol addiction, unpaid work, fines and compensation or restrictions of liberty such as electronic tagging and curfews.
The evidence shows community justice can help people stop breaking the law again leading to fewer victims and safer communities.
Karyn McCluskey, chief executive of Community Justice Scotland, said: “The evidence shows how sentences in the community can prevent crime and help rehabilitation. Now increasing numbers of the public are recognising the benefits not only to communities but also to the individuals serving sentences where they’re able to give something back.”
Christopher Holloway, interim service development manager for Apex Scotland in the Highlands, said: “We work with individuals who have committed criminal offences or are at risk of doing so to give them the necessary skills to change their behaviour and lead fulfilling lives. The aim is to reduce re-offending, tackle deprivation and make communities safer.
“We have a workshop in Inverness where volunteers learn new skills and help communities by creating chairs from scrap wood with support from our staff. Volunteers have been in contact with the justice system initially but have wanted to stay on as volunteers to give something back to communities. And some move on from volunteering to staff roles supporting others.”
