About Criminal Justice
Our Criminal Justice social work service aims to:
- enhance community safety and public protection
- reduce re-offending
- support social inclusion to support desistance from offending
Services are delivered across Aberdeenshire to offenders, their families, courts, prisons, parole board and the wider community.
What we do
The Criminal Justice services we provide include:
- Diversion from prosecution
- Reports and risk assessments
- Community payback orders
- Drug treatment and testing orders
- Unpaid work for offenders
- Prison based social work
- Throughcare services
- Caledonian system
- Joint sex offender project
- Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA)
Funding and future
Funding has been provided by the Northern Community Justice Authority (Northern CJA). CJAs across Scotland were abolished on 31 March 2017. The final annual report of the Northern CJA (PDF 931KB) covers the first six months 2016 to 2017 and focuses on how we have delivered our area plan and annual action plan priorities and objectives. It includes contributions and updates from our partners across the North of Scotland.
The Community Justice (Scotland) Act 2016 sees all 32 Scottish local authorities creating their own Community Justice Partnerships, in whatever way they see fit. It gives responsibility for the delivery of Community Justice to the statutory partners such as local authorities, Police, NHS, Scottish Prison Service, Scottish Court Service, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Skills Development Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.
A new national body has been created, Community Justice Scotland, and has been operating since 1 April 2017.
Funding for Criminal Justice social work services remain ring-fenced and will be distributed by Scottish Government directly to local authorities.
Contact us
If you have any queries please email us criminaljustice.enquiries@aberdeenshire.gov.uk or contact one of our local offices.