Please check out our brand new animations. Real voices, real stories, real people ❤️

🎥 Brand Film
There are 12.5 million people in the UK with a criminal record. Behind every number is a person, a family and a future. Everyone deserves the chance to turn the page.

🎥 Stigma
A sentence ending doesn’t mean life goes back to normal. This film highlights the barriers created by stigma and the strength found in community and lived experience.

🎥 Fear
The fear of the unknown can take over but hearing from someone who has been there can help show the way through.

🎥 Isolation
When everything feels overwhelming and you don’t know who to turn to, one conversation can make you feel understood and less alone.

🎥 Today we’re releasing four new short animations created with @mediaco-op.bsky.social sharing real experiences of isolation, fear, stigma, and hope when navigating the justice system.

💛 Support, not stigma.
👇 The films are in the thread below.

✨✨✨Please share ✨✨✨

This course is one of a kind! People who have a conviction for a sexual offence face the most extreme form of stigma. This training course can help them to survive the storm.

When people speak out about their own lived experience of the criminal justice system, whether that be as a person convicted of a crime or a victim of crime - NO-ONE should be subjected to death or rape threats. People are entitled to call for change without fear of vigilantism.

To join Scottish sex workers in opposing further criminalisation under the Nordic Model;

- follow Scotland4Decrim on Instagram

- if you’re based in Scotland, use our email your MSP tool to demand they oppose the proposed Nordic Model: t.co/DOkwW8dQoa

Sometimes doing a lot of campaigning for sex work decriminalisation is pretty hard work. Other times, your opponents are like this…

Anyway, everyone go and follow @scotland4decrim on Instagram to support sex workers fighting for their safety, health, and human rights! 💪

Follow @scotland4decrim on Instagram (no BlueSky account yet!) to support sex workers in Scotland organising for their rights, against Ash Regan’s bill and in favour of full decrim. Language isn’t the issue - it’s the material consequences for sex workers. Criminalisation endangers sex workers.

UCPI FAQ: The Spycops Public Inquiry What you need to know about the public inquiry into undercover political policing - dates, venue, who gives evidence & when it will end

For more about the #spycops public inquiry, see our FAQ campaignopposingpolicesurveillance.com/2020/01/29/u...

LGBTQ+ groups call on Ofcom to sanction GB News over homophobic broadcast “We can’t have foreign-funded broadcasters poisoning the national conversation with these ugly lies. Ofcom needs to say ‘Stop’.”

“We can’t have foreign-funded broadcasters poisoning the national conversation with these ugly lies. Ofcom needs to say ‘Stop’.”

Remember, if you work for a charity and would like some free copies of my (very beautifully illustrated!!!) children’s book for your service users, please reach out.

Sensational headlines cause real harm.

We’ve seen it. We’ve lived it.

Here’s why we’ll always stand by people with lived experience — not tabloid shame.

#SupportNotStigma #NextChapterScotland

Please donate if you can. The more resource we have, the more people we can reach.

Thankfully I’m still sunning myself 🌅

🟡 Our helpline is back open!
📞 We’re working through a backlog after last week’s closure.
💬 If you’ve messaged us, please know we’re on it — and we truly appreciate your patience.
💛 We’re here, just catching up.

🔗 nextchapterscotland.org.uk/contact
#SupportNotStigma #NextChapterScotland #WeHearYou

🌈 We’re proud to stand with LGBTQ+ communities this Pride month — especially those impacted by the justice system.

At Next Chapter Scotland, we believe in fighting for human rights, dignity, and inclusion for everyone. No one should face barriers because of who they are. 🖤💛 #Pride2025

If you work for a charity and would like some free copies of my book, to give to people you support, please reach out.
www.herewithyoubook.co.uk

One of the team at @nextchapterscotland.org.uk is a freelance social media whiz. If you’re looking to support people with experience of the criminal justice system and you need some social media support, please reach out to Mark at: mark@nextchapterscotland.org.uk

Thanks Owen!! :)

'Here, with you' | Next Chapter Scotland 'Here, with you' a story to support parents to talk to their children about events in their past that still impact on their lives today, bringing love, openness and compassion to the conversation.

Before the inevitable tabloid headlines kick in - here's a blog I've written explaining the background to my new children's book: www.nextchapterscotland.org.uk/blog/not-a-monster-a-mum
To buy the book, visit: www.herewithyoubook.co.uk
@nextchapterscotland.org.uk #criminalrecord #selfcompassion

I'm ridiculously excited to say that I have published a book to help parents talk to their children about choices they've made in their past that still impact on their lives today, bringing love, openness and compassion to the conversation.
You can buy the book now: www.herewithyoubook.co.uk

Censoring Palestine trailer YouTube video by platform films

Just been to a showing of the brilliant Censoring Palestine. If you haven’t seen it, I really recommend finding out where you can watch it!

youtu.be/hJCxfDwoVjY?...

Yesterday I was emailed by a barrister: "In my network I have on average one trans suicide per month. Its devastating and a genoicde of a whole group of people."

Those in the trans community know this is true. Wes Streeting's vigorous attempts to suppress this reality is unforgiveable.

For the last few months we have been working with the wonderful www.heartinmouth.org. It's not been an easy task to work out how best to communicate the messages of @nextchapterscotland.org.uk, yet Ishbel has been an incredible guide, sounding board and critical friend all wrapped into one!

Scottish Green Party graphic with the words "Trans rights are human rights"

Today and every day

Journal article in the Journal of Criminal Justice - Solitary confinement, parole, and criminalization

In a new study published in the Journal of Criminal Justice today, we find that solitary confinement is associated with increased risk of return to prison. Long periods of solitary confinement are associated with a 15 to 25% increase in re-imprisonment rates.

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...