In November, Community Justice Scotland (CJS) launched the second stage of their Second Chancers campaign, “Our Scotland”. They are now asking people to help them share the campaign’s messages across social media.

The Second Chancers campaign aims to build confidence in community justice as an effective sentencing option.

To assess the current understanding of community justice, CJS commissioned independent research of a representative sample of Scotland. Results indicated that very few people know what community justice is, and they don’t know when or why it is used, or the benefits to the individual and community.

To supplement this research, CJS organised focus groups to develop a deeper understanding of people’s attitudes towards community justice. The groups consisted of people touched by the justice system (including victims and people with lived experience), and people whose lives are not directly touched by the justice system (such as community groups and young people).

Using this evidence-base, CJS then created a suite of marketing materials, becoming Part One of the Second Chancers campaign.

Part One

In particular, CJS targeted the materials towards young people aged 18 – 24 years old in Scotland, as research indicated that they knew the least about community justice, but were the most open-minded. This also allowed CJS to ensure the campaign is focused and motivated change within their budget.

The marketing materials include 14 audio stories (the original audio exhibition) and 5 films, all available online. The stories have received nearly 8 million views, while the campaign has featured in more than 220 media outlets, and the audio exhibition has visited more than 40 different venues.

Part Two: “Our Scotland”

“Second Chancers: Our Scotland” continues the work in the first part of the campaign, providing a voice to people who have experience of the Scottish justice system. This time the focus is on professionals from communities across Scotland, including GPs, head teachers, police officers, addictions mentors, youth support workers, custody nurses, social workers and sheriffs, and their reflections on Scotland’s system. These professionals are part of the wider system, and demonstrate the importance of a multi-agency approach.

As part of “Our Scotland”, CJS has created a physical and audio exhibition, along with 8 audio stories, which is available and free to host for those with the physical space.

The current exhibition includes 14 canvases. Viewers can listen to each story via a free app, which they download to their mobile device (comprehensive instructions are provided). The canvases come in two sizes: A0 and A00. Depending on venue space, organisations can choose to host as many or as little as they like. The exhibition does not require Wi-Fi or sockets.

They are also asking people to share the campaign’s messages across social media, with the campaign hashtags #SmartJustice and #OurScotland. CJS would appreciate being tagged in any posts:

They have also provided some suggested social media posts:

“Justice is about more than the justice system. Watch Second Chancers to find out more: secondchancers.tv #SmartJustice #OurScotland”
“The new Second Chancers series explores a joined-up justice system which changes lives, tackles the underlying causes of crime and makes #OurScotland a better place for everyone. Watch and listen: secondchancers.tv #SmartJustice”

For further information, including how to host the exhibition, please contact: