The Scottish Government funds Scotland's local authorities to provide criminal justice social work. CJSW delivers a range of services for offenders aged over 16 years of age and supports the framework of community sentences available to the courts.
CJSW provide community sentences or alternatives to custody for the court. There are also special services for certain key groups of offenders. Find out about the special services for young offenders and for female offenders. CJSW services also provide throughcare for offenders on release from prison.
The Government has recently established an Accreditation Panel to accredit community-based supervision programmes for offenders. The Executive has also been pursuing a best practice agenda within the service - Getting Best Results.