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Today we are highlighting how OLRs go against the principles of proportionality, fairness and breach Human Rights.

The Chair of the Scottish Human Right’s Commission states “OLRs raise significant Human Rights implications for people serving these sentences”. At what point will the Scottish Government acknowledge the OLR is not fit for purpose? #NOLR #SentencingReform

The RMAs Standards/Guidelines state ‘Research [shows] services that are humane, ethical, clinically relevant and [based on] principles of risk, need and responsivity can reduce rates of offending, while punitive approaches have little effect’. The OLR is as punitive as it gets.

The RMA states ‘assessors should be mindful that evaluating long term risk poses several challenges due to limitations in relation to reliability of future predictions’. Despite this, risk assessments are used to detain people in Scotland indeterminately #NOLR #ScotlandJustice

The UN Special Rapporteur for Torture stated in 2023, indeterminate sentences create “levels of pain or suffering beyond those inherent in or incidental to lawful sanctions. Yet, the Scottish Government persists in handing out the OLR #NOLR #HumanRights

Without access to rehabilitative opportunities those serving an OLRs are unable to show that they are no longer a risk to the public. Opportunities for rehabilitation must be offered to be competent within the framework of the ECHR #NOLR #HumanRights

The Vision for Justice states, young people don’t fully develop until their mid-20s and may not understand adult systems and processes, despite this, 38 OLRs have been handed out to people under 25 #NOLR #CYCJ

The implications of indeterminate sentencing in a ‘free society’ requires that extraordinary measures be justified, with strong safeguards and due process protections against excessive punishment ‘Magna Carta’ #HumanRights #NOLR

OLRs were designed to provided resource intensive evidence-based and ethical risk management. Failure to adhere to these principles may interfere with human rights, system pressure and failure (Fyfe and Gailey, 2011) #ScotJustice #NOLR

Almost unbelievable but terrifyingly accurate! #nolr

For the last few months we have been working with the wonderful Ishbel Smith 💜! It's not been an easy task to work out how best to communicate the messages of Next Chapter Scotland, yet Ishbel has been an incredible guide, sounding board and critical friend all wrapped into one!

I'm so excited to say that I have published a book to help parents talk to their children about choices they've made in their past that still impact on their lives today, bringing love, openness & compassion to the conversation. To buy the book, visit: herewithyoubook.co.uk

Before the inevitable tabloid headlines kick in - here's a blog I've written explaining the background to my new children's book: nextchapterscotland.org.uk/blog/not-a-mon… To buy the book, visit: herewithyoubook.co.uk Next Chapter Scotland #criminalrecord #selfcompassion

One of the team at @nextchapterscotland.org.uk is a freelance social media whiz. If you’re looking to support people with experience of the criminal justice system and you need some social media support, please reach out to Mark at: [email protected]

Great to see emailaprisoner pop up in our followers 👋 Staying connected to loved ones is vital during imprisonment, and your service helps make that possible. Here’s to finding ways to support each other’s work in the future 💛 #CriminalJusticeSupport #NextChapterScotland

When people speak out about their own lived experience of the criminal justice system, whether that be as a person convicted of a crime or a victim of crime - NO-ONE should be subjected to death or rape threats. People are entitled to call for change without fear of vigilantism.