Sacro, Team Leader, Youth and Community Justice
BAIL MENTORING SERVICE
The Bail Mentoring Service have been accepting referrals since August 2020 – commissioned by Glasgow City Council. You can read more about why this is a priority for the Community Justice Partnership in the 2020-21 article ‘The Scandal of Remand in Scotland’ – JUST CLICK THE PICTURE LINK BELOW
Or in the article ‘Updating Bail Supervision and Electronic Monitoring’ also included in this, the 2021-22 Community Justice Glasgow Annual Reporter.
The Sacro Bail Mentoring service works to prevent unnecessary custodial remands, re-offending on bail and non-attendance at court by offering a mentoring service. Mentoring is a way of helping and supporting people to achieve their goals. Sacro Bail Mentoring provides one-to-one support which is focussed on the individual’s needs and aspirations.
Sacro’s Bail Mentoring team will advocate and support access to services, encourage structure and independence, support engagement with statutory orders, improve health and wellbeing, lessen social isolation and reduce the risk of reoffending.
The service offers both practical and emotional support. It will assist individuals to find solutions to improve their quality of life, social skills and motivation – working towards a life free of offending. We do this by focusing on areas such as:
- Engagement in statutory orders and court appearances.
- Homelessness and housing.
- Tenancy sustainment and independent living skills.
- Employment and training.
- Finance and benefits.
- Social isolation and vulnerability.
- Health and wellbeing.
- Substance use.
- Healthy relationships.
- Received referrals for 84 people
- Closed 74 cased, 56 of which were planned closures
- Of the unplanned closures – 18:
- 8 Individuals were remanded;
- 2 were sentenced;
- 4 lost contact;
- 3 Did not participate; and
- 1 person’s case was moved to a different sheriffdom
The service is best explained by taking a journey with one of the people who have engaged:
The service user is a heterosexual male in his early 40s. He resides is Glasgow and is currently unemployed due to mental health issues and being in recovery from alcoholism.
He was referred to the Bail Mentoring Service by his Criminal Justice Social Worker at Glasgow Sheriff Court on 19th April 2021 after being placed on a Supervised Bail Order on various Domestic Abuse charges.
He was afflicted with severe mental health issue, suicidal tendencies, and combating aggressive alcoholism. Furthermore, he had attempted suicide three times, with two of these attempts taking place whilst on the phone to his Bail Mentor who intervened and alerted emergency services to his home address. After these suicide attempts, further protective measures were put in place for him by the Bail Mentoring Service. These included additional referral to mental health service, addiction support, and two weekly peer support meetings with his Bail Mentor. One meeting took place over the phone and the other was a face-to-face peer support meeting in a safe space where he could relax and enjoy a conversation over a cup of tea. During these peer supported meetings a strong bond of trust was established between the service user and his Bail Mentor which allowed a deeper understanding of the personal issues facing him.
Due to his alcoholism and that of his ex-partner’s, he was unaware that he was living in a very abusive relationship which resulted in his front teeth being knock out, a serious head wound, and severe emotional scaring. Furthermore, prior to being place on a Supervised Bail Order he lost 20 days of his liberty on remand due to a false allegation of domestic abuse by his ex-partner – which she later admitted was a lie to the Police and resulted in his release from HMP Barlinnie. Moreover, all charges against him for the offences that he was on the Supervised Bail Order were dismissed by the Sheriff as it was accepted by the Court that he was indeed the victim of a prolonged period of physical, emotional, and financial abuse by his ex-partner
Whilst on the Bail Mentoring Service he has been supported to access alcohol recovery services, such as the Glasgow Council on Alcohol and has been successfully referred to mental health support services, such as Glasgow Association for Mental Health (GAMH) and Andys Man Club. He has also been successfully referred for Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. Additionally, due to being a survivor of Domestic Abuse he is now being supported by his FearFree Peer Support Worker. FearFree is a service provided by Sacro that helps survivors of domestic abuse who identify as male or from the LGBT community. His FearFree Peer Support Worker is continuing to meet him once a week for a coffee, which he has stated helps him get through the week and unload any worries. Additionally, he has a telephone appointment during the week.
Since being supported by the Bail Mentoring Service and, now FearFree, he has managed to abstain from alcohol and has stated he has seen an improvement with his mental health and his personal well-being. The service user is still coming to terms with the fact he is a victim of domestic abuse and his two weekly appointments, established by the Bail Mentoring Service, allows him to discuss his experiences in a safe and natural environment.
