Next Chapter Scotland exists to help anyone in Scotland who has been involved with the criminal justice system to navigate the stigma and discrimination that they can face throughout their lives.
They were established in 2022 and became a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) in 2023.
They are run by a Board of Trustees made up of at least 50% people with a criminal record or a close family member of someone with a criminal record. Next Chapter Scotland have made a commitment because they believe that people who have lived through the experience should be at the heart of any changes that will improve their lives and the lives of their peers.
Their vision is of a society that no longer judges people based on their worst choices but, instead, sees them as they are today.
Their priorities are to:
- Share clear and accessible information to help people who have been involved with the criminal justice system navigate any discrimination they may face.
- Bring people together to foster hope and amplify the voices of people who have been involved with the criminal justice system.
- Support people who have been involved with the criminal justice system to challenge the discrimination they face.
- Help to breathe life into the ideas that people who have been involved with the criminal justice system have on how best to improve ‘the system’.
Next Chapter Scotland website, helpline and peer-support Facebook group provide information and signposting across the categories of:
- Work
- Health
- Housing
- Money Matters
- Family and Society
- Living Life
- The Criminal Justice System
- Defending Your Rights
- For Professionals
