The mission of the Joint Faiths Advisory Board on Criminal
Justice is to promote constructive action, from an Inter Faith
perspective, on issues related to crime and its prevention, victims
of crime, offenders and their families, prisons and the criminal
justice system in Scotland.
Remit
The remit of the Board covers each of these 4 areas:
Faith Communities
1. To contribute, from the perspective of Scotland's faith
communities, to the development of Criminal Justice philosophy and
penal reform; and to upholding the rights of victims of crime,
offenders, untried persons, and their families.
2. To raise awareness in faith communities about matters of
criminal justice, and to encourage members of faith communities to
take up opportunities to get involved in work relating to criminal
justice in their local communities.
Victims of crime
3. To support victims of crime, recognising the pain and
distress caused to individuals and communities by offenders.
4. To consult with agencies working with victims of crime.
Criminal Justice Agencies
5. To consult with the Scottish Executive, Crown Office and
Procurator Fiscal Service, and, where appropriate, the Westminster
Government on matters of law and criminal justice in Scotland, and
on matters relating to the well-being of those who are in custody
within the Criminal Justice system.
6. To assist and encourage faith communities in their
engagement with Community Justice Authorities.
7. To consult with the police and other criminal justice
agencies.
Offenders and Prisoners
8. To promote values of reconciliation, forgiveness and
restoration of relationships throughout the criminal justice
system; and to support initiatives that use restorative justice
practices.
9. To stimulate the interest and participation of all faiths
in ministry within the Criminal Justice System.
10. To represent faith communities in dealing with the
Scottish Prison Service, and the Advisors to the Scottish prison
Service, on matters relating to prison chaplaincy.
11. To report to, and consult with, faith communities on
matters relating to the well-being of those who are in custody
within the Criminal Justice system.
12. To visit penal establishments, when deemed appropriate by
the Board and by the Justice Department or its agencies.
Membership
According to its constitution, the Board shall be composed of
members appointed by:
• The Church of Scotland
• The Roman Catholic Church in Scotland
• The Scottish Episcopal Church
• Action of Churches Together in Scotland (ACTS)
• The Scottish Inter Faith Council
The current Convener of the Board is Rev Elaine MacRae.
Recent work of the Board
• Publication of "What can I do?" - a guide to volunteering
opportunities in the criminal justice system (November 2008).
• Responded to the Equal Opportunities Committee of the
Scottish Parliament Inquiry into female offenders in the criminal
justice system as well as to the Scottish Parliament Justice
Committee call for evidence on the Criminal Justice and Licensing
(Scotland) Bill.
• Met with the Solicitor General to explore the role of the
faith communities in the criminal justice system (October
2009)
• Held a joint seminar with the Scottish Prison Service
"Outside In: Building Better Relationships" with the objective of
enabling faith communities working with offenders and their
families to build better relationships with prison staff (April
2010).
Contacting the JFABCJ
Parliamentary Officer, Chloe Clemmons, should be your first
point of contact about the JFABCJ.