Scottish Recovery Consortium (SRC) - National Consultation - Justice

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/