Brilliant new animations explaining the important work @nextchapterscotland.org.uk does and why it is needed 👍🏻

Today, the Scottish 'justice' system' is facing a number of challenges. One that a lot of people aren't aware of is our informal plea-bargaining system. Our new blog draws on the post office scandal to highlight the dangers of this murky world of grubby deals. erasmusresearch.com/the-hidden-c...

Wealth of the world’s 3,000 billionaires surged by $6.5tn (£4.8tn) in real terms over the past decade. World's richest 1% gained $33.9tn in real terms. Billionaires pay effective tax rate of 0.3% of their wealth. Ultra-rich are major cause of poverty, pollution, corruption. Need wealth tax now.

Moving #ketamine from class C to B in 2014 did not prevent rising use. So why would moving it up to class A be a solution? www.itv.com/news/2025-06...

Cracking piece by Ali Fraser @crmnlgy.bsky.social in @glasgowbell.bsky.social over the weekend on his new podcast Young Warriors where he learns about youth violence in Glasgow, and how projects like G20 are helping turn lives around. www.glasgowbell.co.uk/glasgow-yout... #YoungWarriorsPodcast

🟡 No one should feel alone after justice system involvement. Our Listening Ear project offers regular friendly phone calls with trained volunteers. Just a space to be heard. 💛 👉 nextchapterscotland.org.uk/contact #SupportNotStigma #ListeningEar

Heartbreaking

Major new report out today from SCCJR on the number of deaths in custody. ❗️Prison deaths in Scotland have surged to 64 in the last year. bit.ly/deaths-in-cu... Watch this short video to find out the key stats👇

I made a comic on how we got here & trump/supporters - collecting things he's said that would seem to have been over the line - and how that never seems to be the case is the real problem... on my site with full alt-text and citations here spinweaveandcut.com/draw-the-line/

The OLR violates the basic principles of justice and has no place in Scotland if it wishes to be a fair and progressive country. Want to help? Go to nolr.org/how-you-can-..., where you can find a template letter to your MSP, make a donation or contact us and join us as a member.

We should find a way to tackle harm in society instead of focussing all our anxiety on a few individuals while lots of the same goes on outside. Reports do not reduce harm. See e.g. transformharm.org for better ideas.

When you are on an OLR, the system is so rigid and it is so bureaucratic, it’s not like any other long sentence because it has so many extra layers of bureaucracy, so it is easier being a life sentenced prisoner (Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist) #NOLR

'I think one of the biggest flaws for me is that it's under-resourced, and there isn't enough case managers, there is not enough specialist services' (Policy professional, RMA) #JusticeScot #NOLR

The OLR no's increase and we don’t have the capacity to manage them effectively. Then it impacts on the life population … it was just assumed that we dealt with what was given to us, but the practical application of it was not realised and then it got worse and worse and worse (Prison manager)

''You've got some OLRs that have the tiniest punishment part, you're talking months, up to a few years. So, by the time they access any kind of intervention they are already post tariff...” (Forensic psychologist) #NOLR #JustcieReform

'A lot of what the OLR was about was the preparation of the risk assessment. Nobody needs an assessment, they need the outcome of the assessment to be delivered, too often the assessment becomes an end in itself' (Former member, Parole Board for Scotland) #ScotJustice #NOLR

'He's not motivated to progress with anything. He is too reluctant three years in to have any type of relationship, form peers or get a job because he's like, what's the point? I’ve got an OLR' (Community Justice Social Worker) #NOLR #CommunityJustice

Harrowing #NOLR

#NOLR @prtuk.bsky.social @howardleague-scot.bsky.social @kir-anderson.bsky.social @fergusmcneill.bsky.social

Today we are drawing on Nicola Ceesay’s forthcoming PhD thesis to highlight the perspectives of practitioners. #NOLR

Let's do this! Let's make some noise by writing to MSPs and sharing these stories of OLR injustice everywhere we can!

A powerful illustration how OLRs impact people who have endured a lot and are motivated to work on themselves, along with the people who support them 1/5. #NOLR @familiesoutside.bsky.social @markmcsherry.bsky.social @prtuk.bsky.social

People trying to maintain hope through the prison walls, but failing 1/5 #NOLR

Mental health & OLRs - a toxic combination. 1/4 Please repost @fergusmcneill.bsky.social @howardleague-scot.bsky.social @weeneens.bsky.social @prtuk.bsky.social @familiesoutside.bsky.social

OLRs are a Kafkaesque punishment and a bureaucratic nightmare #NOLR - a thread 1/5

More horrendous stories of OLRs destroying people's lives, including family members this time.

The implications of indeterminate sentencing in a ‘free society’ requires that extraordinary measures be justified, with strong safeguards and due process protections against excessive punishment ‘Magna Carta’ #HumanRights #NOLR

The Vision for Justice states, young people don’t fully develop until their mid-20s and may not understand adult systems and processes, despite this, 38 OLRs have been handed out to people under 25 #NOLR #CYCJ

Without access to rehabilitative opportunities those serving an OLRs are unable to show that they are no longer a risk to the public. Opportunities for rehabilitation must be offered to be competent within the framework of the ECHR #NOLR #HumanRights

The UN Special Rapporteur for Torture stated in 2023, indeterminate sentences create “levels of pain or suffering beyond those inherent in or incidental to lawful sanctions. Yet, the Scottish Government persists in handing out the OLR #NOLR #HumanRights

The RMA states ‘assessors should be mindful that evaluating long term risk poses several challenges due to limitations in relation to reliability of future predictions’. Despite this, risk assessments are used to detain people in Scotland indeterminately #NOLR #ScotlandJustice

The Chair of the Scottish Human Right’s Commission states “OLRs raise significant Human Rights implications for people serving these sentences”. At what point will the Scottish Government acknowledge the OLR is not fit for purpose? #NOLR #SentencingReform

Want to help? Please go to to nolr.org/how-you-can-..., where you can find a template letter to your MSP, make a donation or contact us and join us as a member.

Today we are highlighting the stories of people on Orders of Lifelong Restrictions. Follow #NOLR for all posts.

‘L’ was given an OLR for breach of the peace. Given a 6 month tariff, he has spent 12 years in prison, where he was diagnosed with autism. It will be at least 4 years before he is released, but he is already scared that one minor misstep once out will see him back in prison #NOLR

Heartbreaking

RMA Guidelines say: ‘assessors should state clearly the limitations of making judgements about life course persistent risk in relation to children/young people’. Despite this, 38 OLRs have been handed out to under 25s, 13 to under 20s #NOLR #UNCRC #YouthJustice

Is this how we want to spend our money? Let’s invest in community resources, mental health initiatives, grassroots organisations instead!

Imagine being on an OLR with death a more common outcome than life in the community

The OLR was introduced to protect the public from “the most serious sexual and violent offenders.” However, 124 people have been given an OLR with a punishment tariff of less than 4 years – 29 of which are under 2 years. #NOLR #ScotJustice

Scotland has one of the highest prison mortality rates in Europe, OLRs are creating toxic conditions that make this situation worse. 18 people on OLRs have died in custody and 6 in the community, with five people most likely having ended their own life. Source: FOI by #NOLR #ScottishPrisonService

“The Scottish penal system has long been regarded as one of the most progressive in the world, but OLR discredits the nation yet, unlike IPP, has not been ended.” 2024- Wendy Sinclair-Gieben, then serving Chief Inspector of Prisons in Scotland. #NOLR #endOLRsentences

The IPP in England currently monitors prisoners for 3 years after release, dependent on behaviour. Scotland’s OLR has no end date - monitoring is lifelong. The resources are not available for this, breaching their Human Rights. #SentencingReform #NOLR

In 2024 the Scottish Government was found to be in breach of an OLR prisoner’s Human Rights under Article 5, which protects individuals’ freedom from unreasonable detention. Yet, the Scottish Government continues to uphold the OLR #NOLR #HumanRightsScotland

The OLR is a true-life sentence where the onus is on the prisoner to ‘prove’ they don’t pose a risk, but they’re not given the opportunities to do so. This results in the same Human Rights breach that led to the abolition of IPP in England/Wales. #NOLR #IPPScandal