Alcohol (In)Justice
On 19th February, Lib Dem Councillor Sally Pattle was invited to take part in a round table panel event at the Scottish Parliament to discuss Alcohol (In)Justice, organised by Carol Mochan MSP and Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP).
The event was primarily to discuss the issues surrounding prisoners and alcohol, the journey that those with alcohol issues take through the criminal justice system and the support that is available to them at every step.
As well as other elected officials, there were representatives from Police Scotland, the Procurator Fiscal Office, a doctor working in the prison estate and various support workers from different third sector organisations.
Councillor Sally Pattle attended in her capacity as Mental Health Spokesperson for the Scottish Liberal Democrats. She said:
“I was delighted to be invited to take part in this important event. It was vital that our party position was made clear. The Scottish Liberal Democrats firmly believe that far too many Scots are incarcerated, but that any release programme needs to be managed in a safe and sustainable way – the emergency releases we witnessed last week for example, do nothing to keep our communities safe, nor do they help individuals with long-term rehabilitation.
"For those where mental health or alcohol are the main drivers for their journey into the criminal justice system in the first place, there have to be more effective intervention measures. This would benefit communities, societies, the individuals involved and of course prison staff.
"We also have grave concerns about the huge numbers currently being held on remand – they don’t seem to feature in any discussion so far.
"Finally, I was so pleased to be able to be there representing local government. I was surprised to find that I was the only one there from a local government setting, and even more surprised to learn that they have not currently been involved in any of these discussions. Local authorities are the first port of call for many prisoners, released with nowhere to live, no means of supporting themselves, and no idea where to get support for mental health or substance abuse issues.
"I was glad to be able to raise this at the event and hope that going forward, these important factors are taken into consideration by the Scottish Government.”