Media Education
From 2019 to 2022 Media Education worked with Community Justice Glasgow and a Media Team of people with experience of the justice system to create a series of films across a number of themes. You can watch each of the individual films by CLICKING THE VIDEO LINKS BELOW or you can access the series here https://vimeo.com/showcase/9606357
Women in the Justice System
Restorative Justice Approaches in the Community
Restorative Case Conferencing
The Role of Social Enterprises in Community Justice
Young People – Diversion and Prevention
Thoroughfare
The idea was that the films would show the range of services and initiatives that community justice encompasses across Glasgow. We wanted to showcase some of the work and the impacts on people living in the city. Together with our media team we planned who to contact and interview. Together, we worked out questions to ask that might shine a light on the issues organisations and initiatives across the city were working to tackle and, how those accessing these projects were impacted.
The launch screening of the films at the Centre for Contemporary Arts (early 2023) was part of the consultation / participation events used to influence and shape the refresh of the Community Justice Glasgow Outcome Improvement Plan 2023 – 2028 (CJOIP). The event was well attended with a great cross section of public and 3rd sector providers as well as those with lived experience of the justice system there to have their say. At the event the films were used to stimulate thinking and discussion around barriers and solutions in regard to Community Justice and reducing re-offending in Glasgow. Media Education filmed the event and you can watch by CLICKING THE VIDEO LINK below.
You can also read the new Community Justice Glasgow Outcome Improvement Plan 2023-2028 by CLICKING THE PICTURE LINK BELOW.
We have been touring the films around community groups providing screenings and discussions. The films were designed to be conversation starters to enable people to share thoughts and learn together. They have been really successful at this so far. These events have highlighted the need people have to talk about their experiences of crime and anti-social behaviour and to understand what causes this and how it can be helped.
The following screenings showed films focusing on initiatives aimed at young people:
We held a community screening in the Wynford. This was a local audience of all ages. The community was defensive of young people, sympathetic to the fact that they got a bad reputation but were mainly bored. Poverty, domestic abuse and inter-generational trauma within families were all discussed. People felt that supporting young people to positive opportunities through school and youth groups was essential and all lamented the cuts in community-based youth services. Knowing young people in a locality was also discussed with older women saying knowing someone’s gran gave you authority to challenge behaviour if you knew the family of a young person and this knowledge was respected by the young people and listened to. There was a strong sense of community at this screening.
The reception to the same films at a screening at the City Chambers was very different. This audience was a lot larger and made up of representatives from across the Community Councils of Glasgow. Again, the age range was mixed but largely over 50 years. Initially people were angry about what they felt was the state-of-affairs. The first responses were that discipline was too lax, there was wanton disobedience and little respect. People talked about ‘being depressed by headlines in the papers’ which they felt were a blast from the past about Glasgow being rife with crime. They wanted to be proud of their city and felt everything was moving back to a ‘dark’ time. Slowly teachers in the audience began to discuss the violence they experienced in the classroom, but also the huge deprivation and violence experienced by those they tried to care for. The mood changed to discussions of cuts and austerity, poverty and domestic violence.
People began to talk about trauma and the mood changed to one of understanding and anger at particularly young people being let down by cuts to services. In one film a young man talks about attending an educational programme which avoids him getting a criminal record if he attends. His aunt talks about the benefits to her nephew and to them as a family. Hearing directly from those affected by community justice and the solutions it can offer was sighted by those attending as really powerful.
At a screening to Glasgow Rotary Club we were asked whether Diversion and Prevention initiatives were rigorous or a soft option. Being able to explain the reasoning behind the initiatives and the ways the courts run meant that the audience saw the value in the strategy and the positive impact on the young person in the film and the wider family and community. Again, trauma and the vulnerability of those involved was evident to the audience.
It would be fair to say that overwhelmingly the films enable in depth discussions about the experiences of people in Glasgow, crime, antisocial behaviour and how this can be tackled. In every event, even if discussion begins on a very hostile level where the prevailing attitude is to lock everyone up and throw away the key, this quickly softens and people begin to discuss the need for different solutions, different ways communities problem-solve together.
Sadly the screenings discussions highlight the effects of austerity, poverty and widespread family violence and domestic abuse as issues causing real hardship and trauma. In every instance there has been a call for less cuts, greater provision and prevention. Trauma and the effects across generations is also a theme that recurs. Feedback from people has been overwhelmingly positive and there is real interest, if at times a little scepticism, in different initiatives that might be able to reduce offending and help those who become involved with the justice system to find a positive path that prevents repeat offences and gives people genuine life chances. People want to be proud of their neighbourhoods and city and want to support initiatives that might help achieve this.
Starting out on these screenings we had underestimated the response from people and their interest in discussing solutions and the need for change. We are really looking forward to further events. If you would like us to visit to show the films or a selection of them, please contact Kate at kate@mediaeducation.co.uk
There is no charge for this, and we bring all equipment. Thank you to everyone who helped make the films and gave their time to be interviewed.