Justice social work

Diversion from Prosecution

In certain circumstances the Procurator Fiscal may decide to 'divert' someone to social work as an alternative to Court.

In these cases, following assessment, a social worker will work with the individual for a period of approx twelve weeks in order to reduce their risk of re-offending. If the individual complies fully with this intervention the Fiscal may decide that they will not be prosecuted and not go to Court.

As part of Diversion the individual may be referred to the Restorative Justice Scheme, which works with the individual to increase their awareness of what happened, the effect on their victims and what could be done differently in the future. The restorative justice process can involve a facilitated meeting with the offender and the victim and or letters of apology.