Who we are

History

The Howard League is named after John Howard, the founder of the penal reform movement. Between 1775 and 1790 he made seven journeys across Europe in search of a humane prison system for English gaols to follow.

In 1866, the Howard Association was formed. Its aim was the “promotion of the most efficient means of penal treatment and crime prevention” and to promote “a reformatory and radically preventive treatment of offenders”. The Howard League for Penal Reform arose from its merger with the Penal Reform League in 1921.

Sharing a similar ethos to the Howard League for Penal Reform in England and Wales, Howard League Scotland was formed in 1979 to respond effectively to the unique needs of the Scottish penal system.

Status

We are fully independent body, resisting any form of statutory funding to preserve our independence of though and political neutrality. Our Executive Committee is comprised of experts with backgrounds in academia, the judiciary, social work and rehabilitative services. We thus have expertise in community justice; offender rehabilitation and support; restorative justice; women and young people; parole; and sentencing policy.

All of our Executive Committee members are volunteers.

Aims and objectives

We aim to make a lasting difference to the lives of people in contact with the criminal justice system in Scotland, by influencing the development of progressive penal policy, practice and legislation.

Our work is firmly rooted in what works to aid reintegration and to minimise the likelihood of reoffending.