As promised, here’s the second part of my trip to Scotland! This post will be all about the academic locations we visited. All these locations were extremely important to what we’ve been learning in class and in understanding how those lesson translate to the real world, but some locations lend themselves more to being written. That means some sections might be longer than others without meaning they were better or worse than any other. I also didn’t get many pictures which I do apologize for. We had a total of five visits between Glasgow and Edinburgh which gave us a good idea of Scotland’s criminal policy and it’s landscape for Forensic Psychology. Let’s take a look.
Part Two: Academics!
Fergus McNeill
McNeill is Professor of Criminology & Social Work at the University of Glasgow and was kind enough to take the time out of his busy schedule (teaching both Undergraduate and Graduate level courses) to speak with us about Scotland and Criminal Desistance. The first part was a perfect place to start as students studying Forensic Psychology in a foreign country. The Scottish system is independent of the British, so even those knowledgeable about that one may need some explaining. Put simply, it’s very different from anything I’ve seen before. Three things make it supremely interesting. First, there is no criminal code with statutes that dictate legal process, instead they focus on a Common Law type of justice system based off precedent of past cases. This means the law itself is extremely dynamic and adaptable to the needs of the nation. Second, the entire system is better understood as a process rather than a system. For a criminal to be convicted, they must be sent to a number of different offices in ascending order where their course through the process is affirmed. Third, the individual steps in the process have extraordinary levels of autonomy. The police can choose what to do with the suspect they have in custody, just as the prosecutor can choose how to proceed with an offender. This feels like a much more positive process to be a part of and go through when compared to the U.S. I think that directly relates to the second part of the presentation, Criminal Desistance.
Criminal Desistance focuses on understanding the leading causes of crime and recidivism among previously incarcerated individuals; basically how can a society work to stop crime. McNeill did an amazing job of taking this massive topic and making it digestible for students only getting a taste of this very focused subject of study. I’ll use his words and talk about it in three progressive steps. Primary desistance focuses on changing criminal or deviant behaviors in people that might offend. This could be really anything like vocational training, changing where you hang out and who supervises you. Secondary desistance is all about changing the personal identity of an offender away from that of a criminal. Allowing a convict to get a job and make a new life for them-self allows them to change their personal perception of their own life and choices. Tertiary Desistance works to give possible offenders a place to belong. After they have lost their criminal behavior and have changed their identity away from crime, they can find a sense of belonging or purpose in their new place in society. All and all, I think we all learned a lot from McNeill and his work. He was also super friendly and open to any questions we had which was really kind. I think he even stayed past the time allotted to make sure everyone got an answer.
Kibble Education and Care Center
Kibble was probably the most interesting of all the visits we were able to have purely based on the extent to which we were able to see the facilities and their process. In a sentence, Kibble’s goal is rehabilitating violent individuals (whether that be towards others or themselves) while they are in or orbiting the criminal justice system. This is through emotional therapy and communal re-education. The Center itself is an isolated, all-encompassing, correctional facility. The clients are criminals but are given the opportunity to change behaviors and make progress towards better coping behaviors and more autonomy than seen in prison. They have 12 full time Psychologists and other Therapeutic Specialists to help the kids. We were given a tour of both the communal areas, the educational facilities, and the intake facility. It was an extensive tour and allowed us to see the holistic approach that Kibble takes. It was very similar feeling that I felt at RMV in Gothenburg. This is a facility used to house and support criminals and we felt it very clearly while there. It was an amazing experience to better understand an important aspect of Rehabilitative Forensic Psychology, an area which can be hard to get a handle on in class.
Govan Police Office: Specialist Crime Division
I’ve watched a ton of crime TV shows and crime dramas, but being able to get inside the actual Govan Police Station conference room and speak with the department leads of the Specialist Crime Division was incredible. We were able to learn about a few different departments at the station. These departments make up the Criminal Investigation Department, dividing into three separate departments. Operations accounts for investigations of general crime, housebreaking, robbery, murder, you know the general stuff. Public Protections work on rape investigations, child abuse, and the social working aspect of the station. Finally, there was the Serious and Organized Crime division focusing on drugs, serious crimes, and, you guessed it, organized crime. The final department we were introduced to was Concern Hub, sounds pretty chill after the other departments but might be the most important of all three. Any concern from the public goes through this department before reaching the investigators, which, as you might be able to tell, is a massive job for the office which presides over the largest city (by population) in Scotland. Being in a police station again was a bit nerve racking. Nah, I’m just kidding. It was a first for me and was pretty cool. It was awesome to see the conference room where I’m sure tons of meetings about crimes and task forces were held. Academically speaking, it was super helpful to learn about how the police force works in Scotland.
Shakti Women’s Aid Edinburgh
Victimization has been a major part of our class and Shakti works to reverse the normal understanding of women who get trapped in cycles of family enforced abuse. Shakti specializes in educating and supporting women and their children who are in domestic abuse situations. They give financial, living, and legal support to women looking to leave or in most cases escape dangerous relationships. Shakti also specializes in educating women who aren’t fully aware of their personal rights in Scotland. In many cases, they help women who have recently immigrated, refugees who are in the same relationships that brought them here but have now become abusive, or women in arranged marriages. The 73 staff members work to help women all over Edinburgh and speak 17 different languages to help that effort. They are looking to not only make Edinburgh a better place for women, but for women who are new to Scotland whose abuse may be the only familiar and stable structure in their life. Being there for just an hour or two allowed the class to really understand the amount of care and love these workers had for their clients.
Sacro
Sacro is an organization that houses a number of community based programs for restorative justice. We watched presentations on four separate organizations that work to make a difference in Scottish communities. The first was a program called Another Way, which focused on prostitutes and the common dangers that come to those who work in that industry. Another Way is a person centered initiative to not only make those working safer and supported, but also works to get as many people possible out of that situation. They work by hosting needle exchanges, providing condoms, or even just giving tea and company. Another aspect is pointing workers towards tools already out there like the Ugly Mug Scheme which works to make sex workers aware of violent or dangerous persons who might be looking for services. The next program was called Shine. This program focused on women currently in the correctional system who could benefit from emotional, professional, or volunteering opportunities before, during, or after serving their sentence. Bright Choices was an organization targeting the prevalence of Honor Based Violence in Black Minority Ethnic communities. A representative gave us the rundown of what HBV is, where it lives, how it manifests, and why it persists. The final organization we got to hear about was Fearless, a LGBTQI focused program looking to maintain a database of domestic abusers. It is similar to Ugly Mug, letting people know if someone has been a perpetrator can help stop future violence.
Scotland was a truly amazing experience on both the cultural and academic side of things. I got to see the UK and one of the most unique parts of it. I was able to eat Scottish cuisine, meet and speak to Scottish professionals, and even see the Scottish countryside. If anyone reading has ever wondered if Scotland is as beautiful as it was in The Little Vampire, I can say without a doubt that it is. I am so grateful to DIS for making things easy, interesting, and unforgettable.
