The Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice (CYCJ) has adapted its research that calls for a “radical re-shaping” of Scotland’s use of bail and remand with children, for a younger audience.
Published in December 2020, ‘Use and impact of bail and remand with children in Scotland’ shared findings from a small nationwide study undertaken by CYCJ on the use of bail and remand with children in Scotland. A child friendly version of the report and a short animation are now available, aiming to help children, young people and their families better understand the issues and people involved, how it feels to be on bail and remand – and who can help.
This work was undertaken with the support of young people who have lived experience of the justice system.
CYCJ’s original report was based on the experience of children who have been on bail and remand, their parents and carers, and social work and legal professionals – including Procurator Fiscals and Sheriffs.
The report describes the complexity involved in decision-making about the use of bail and remand for children, with a multitude of factors to be balanced and deliberated, often hindered by a lack of available information and short time-frames.
Fiona Dyer, CYCJ’s Director (Interim), said:
“Given our centre’s focus on improving justice for and with children and young people, we do everything we can to ensure they have knowledge of their rights and how these can be upheld. We hope this animation and report will help children, young people and their families – and those who may not have knowledge of the justice sector – to have a better understanding of the process they may be going through or have gone through.
“In order to do this effectively, we always involve young people who are willing and able to share their own experiences to help others. We are very grateful to Hannah for her help in shaping the animation and making sure it was relatable and understandable.”
If you’d like to share feedback on the report and animation, please get in touch at cycj@strath.ac.uk.
You may also be interested in…
‘Improving the life chances of children who offend: A summary of common factors’
CYCJ’s Participation and Engagement Strategy
With thanks and acknowledgment to Gary Morrison of Rock on Robot and Sarah Ahmad of Floating Designer.