"How Just is Scotland's Criminal Justice System?" - Prof. Sarah Armstrong

Humanist Society Scotland - Glasgow Branch Meeting
Title: "How Just is Scotland's Criminal Justice System?"
Speaker: Prof. Sarah Armstrong
📍 Location: Garnethill Multicultural Centre, 21 Rose St, Glasgow G3 6RE
🕒 Doors open: 13:00 | Meeting time: 13:30 – 15:00
☕ Refreshments: Complimentary tea and coffee will be available, with an optional donation.
🎟️ Cost: Free and open to all

Join us for our next Glasgow Branch meeting, open to all HSS members, supporters and anyone who shares humanist values!

This month's meeting will feature a speaker on Scotland's criminal justice system, as well as updates on the society’s recent activities.

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Event Description
Many people don't know Scotland has one of the most punitive criminal justice systems in Europe. This talk will explore the key institutions and processes of criminal justice in Scotland, pointing out key examples of this, such as having the highest proportion of life sentences (and more than England) and remand populations, high police stop and search levels and continued criminalisation of substance dependence. I will consider what might explain this punitiveness and reflect on this as a paradox in a country that conventionally thinks of itself as progressive. I will also hope to explore with attendees what a more just approach to criminal justice might look like.

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About the Speaker
Sarah Armstrong is a Professor of Criminology at the University of Glasgow, with a focus on prisons, punishment and the broader criminal justice system, particularly in Scotland.

• Research Areas: Her work examines the governance, organisation, and lived experiences of punishment, using diverse methods such as ethnography, statistical analysis, and discourse analysis.
• Key Projects: She is currently leading Paper Cuts: Prisons, Bureaucracy, and Violence, a study examining structural and administrative violence in prisons. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she co-led the Scotland in Lockdown study, investigating the impacts of isolation during lockdown on vulnerable groups.
• Academic Contributions: Former Director of the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research (2016-19), she is Co-editor-in-Chief of Crime Media Culture.
• Qualifications: Professor Armstrong holds a BA in History from Carleton College, and a JD and PhD from the University of California, Berkeley.