The Scottish Government has two major justice consultations open right now — and both close on 20 August 2026.
SRC is hosting two free online lunchtime sessions in August to give communities, recovery organisations, professionals, and individuals the chance to share their views with us. We’ll capture what’s said and submit a collective response to each consultation on behalf of everyone who attends.
You don’t need to be a policy expert to take part. You just need a view.
Why these consultations matter to recovery communities
Drug and alcohol harm sits at the intersection of both consultations. People affected by substance use are disproportionately represented in Scotland’s justice system — as people on community sentences, remand, in prison, and post-liberation. The decisions made in response to both of these consultations will affect access to services, the availability of community alternatives, and the quality of support available to people at every point in the justice pathway.
SRC works across community and justice settings — our Prison Recovery Development Officers work across Scotland’s prison estate, our MIST Experiential Team captures lived experience in justice settings, and our Women in Recovery work has documented the particular impact of justice involvement on women affected by drug and alcohol harm. We know that recovery communities have direct, important experience of both of these policy areas. That experience should be part of these consultations.
Session 1: National Strategy for Community Justice Monday 10 August 2026 | 12:00–1:30pm | Free, online
The Scottish Government is conducting a statutory five-year review of the National Strategy for Community Justice — the national framework that shapes community sentences, early intervention, diversion, and access to services for people in contact with the justice system.
The consultation asks what is working, what isn’t, and what the priorities for community justice should be over the next three to five years. These are questions that people working in and affected by Scotland’s recovery and justice systems are well-placed to answer.
📅 Register for Session 1 (10 August): https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1995071522630?aff=oddtdtcreator
📋 Read the consultation: https://consult.gov.scot/justice/national-strategy-community-justice-2022-review/
Session 2: Working Towards a Sustainable Prison Population Wednesday 12 August 2026 | 12:00–1:30pm | Free, online
Scotland’s prison population has reached a historic high — more than 8,600 people held in an estate designed for 7,805. The Scottish Government’s penal reform consultation sets out proposals to address this, building on the recommendations of the independent Sentencing and Penal Policy Commission.
The proposals include extending the presumption against short sentences, enhancing community sentences, expanding electronic monitoring, reducing remand, and changing how prisoners are released so that more time is spent under supervision in the community. These are significant proposals with real implications for people affected by drug and alcohol harm — and recovery communities should be part of shaping them.
📅 Register for Session 2 (12 August): https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1995072214700?aff=oddtdtcreator
📋 Read the consultation: https://www.gov.scot/publications/penal-reform-working-towards-sustainable-prison-population-consultation/
How the sessions work
Both sessions are hosted by SRC CEO Tracey McFall and run from 12:00 to 1:30pm. You don’t need to have read the consultations in advance — we’ll briefly outline what each is asking, open the floor for discussion, and take note of the views shared. After each session, SRC will collate what we’ve heard and submit it as a collective response to the relevant consultation.
You can attend one session or both. Both are free and online.
