A Wee Chat About Justice

This is the third in our How We Got Here series, where we ask colleagues what made them want to work in the Scottish justice sector. In this episode, we're chatting with members of our Order for Lifelong Restriction (OLR) team. OLR case workers Ailish, Eva and Chloe join Geoff to talk about their experiences at university (maths isn't for everyone!), the value of volunteering, their first steps into working in justice settings, and how changing your perspective can turn rejection into redirection.

Find out more about the RMA: www.rma.scot

Learn more about Victim Support Scotland: https://victimsupport.scot/

This is the second in the series of How We Got Here, asking our colleagues what made them want to work in the Scottish justice sector. In this episode, we're chatting to our Order for Lifelong Restriction (OLR) team. OLR Team Manager, Amanda, and OLR Lead, Heather, tell us about how they went from Spice Girls and Ally McBeal... to the Risk Management Authority.

We talk about what happens at the end of University, finding experience in different settings and the steps they took in their careers, to how time out and taking a step back can help give you perspective.

Find out more about the RMA: www.rma.scot

Find our research: https://www.rma.scot/research/

What does a career in Research at the RMA actually look like? In this episode, we sit down with our Research and Development team to hear how they got started, the paths they've taken, the lessons they've learned along the way, and the work they do today.

Find out more about the RMA: www.rma.scot

Find our research: https://www.rma.scot/research/

The UK Sex Offender Register (SOR) was introduced in the 1990s to support public protection. In Scotland, this is known as Notification Requirements. In this epsiode we're talking about what the system is and how it came about, we consider the benefits and drawbacks to how it works, and discuss existing research on the systems in the UK and internationally, including reducing reoffending and the impact on people and communities.

Find out more about the work of the RMA: Home - RMA - Risk Management Authority

References & Useful Links

Sex offenders register explained | Scottish Sentencing Council

2025 - Ansbro & Fitzgibbon - UK Sex Offender Register - Has Net Been Cast Too Wide. The UK sex offender register: Has the net been cast too wide? - Maria Ansbro, Wendy Fitzgibbon, 2025

2014 - Carr - The Effect of Sex Offender Registries on Recidivism. (99+) The Effect of Sex Offender Registries on Recidivism: Evidence from a Natural Experiment

2025 - Hanson et al - How Public Registries Obscure Sexual Recidivism Risk Evidence from State Administrative Data. How public registries obscure sexual recidivism risk: Evidence from state administrative data.

2006 - Wakefield - The Vilification of Sex Offenders. Do Laws Targeting Sex Offenders Increase Recidivism and Sexual Violence. The Vilification of Sex Offenders: Do Laws Targeting Sex Offenders Increase Recidivism and Sexual Violence? | IPCE

We know that social media has played a large part in radicalisation over the years. Continual development of platforms, the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the effect of the attention economy may be increasing the risk of online harm poses to our communities.

In these episodes, our Research and Development team talk about online spaces to consider the impact on vulnerable populations, the process of implementing safeguards and restrictions; and how legislation must be shaped to help keep communities safe in the digital age.

This is the second part of a two-part episode.

Find out more about the work of the RMA: www.rma.scot

References & Useful Links

Ashurst, L., & McAlinden, A. M. (2015). Young people, peer-to-peer grooming and sexual offending: Understanding and responding to harmful sexual behaviour within a social media society. Probation Journal, 62(4), 374-388. https://doi.org/10.1177/0264550515619572

Fisico, R., & Harkins, L. (2021). Technology and sexual offending. Current psychiatry reports, 23(9), 59. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-021-01269-1

Kenyon, J., Binder, J., & Baker‑Beall, C. (2022, December 8). The Internet and radicalisation pathways: Technological advances, relevance of mental health and role of attackers. His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/internet-and-radicalisation-pathways-technological-advances-relevance-of-mental-health-and-role-of-attackers

Ofcom (2025). Children and Parents: Media Use and Attitudes Report. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/media-use-and-attitudes/media-habits-children/children-and-parents-media-use-and-attitudes-report-2025

Slavtcheva-Petkova, V., Nash, V. J., & Bulger, M. (2015). Evidence on the extent of harms experienced by children as a result of online risks: implications for policy and research. Information, Communication & Society, 18(1), 48-62. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2014.934387

We know that social media has played a large part in radicalisation over the years. Continual development of platforms, the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the effect of the attention economy may be increasing the risk of online harm poses to our communities.

In these episodes, our Research and Development team talk about online spaces to consider the impact on vulnerable populations, the process of implementing safeguards and restrictions; and how legislation must be shaped to help keep communities safe in the digital age.

This is the first part of a two-part episode.

Find out more about the work of the RMA: www.rma.scot

References & Useful Links

Ashurst, L., & McAlinden, A. M. (2015). Young people, peer-to-peer grooming and sexual offending: Understanding and responding to harmful sexual behaviour within a social media society. Probation Journal, 62(4), 374-388. https://doi.org/10.1177/0264550515619572

Fisico, R., & Harkins, L. (2021). Technology and sexual offending. Current psychiatry reports, 23(9), 59. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-021-01269-1

Kenyon, J., Binder, J., & Baker‑Beall, C. (2022, December 8). The Internet and radicalisation pathways: Technological advances, relevance of mental health and role of attackers. His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/internet-and-radicalisation-pathways-technological-advances-relevance-of-mental-health-and-role-of-attackers

Ofcom (2025). Children and Parents: Media Use and Attitudes Report. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/media-use-and-attitudes/media-habits-children/children-and-parents-media-use-and-attitudes-report-2025

Slavtcheva-Petkova, V., Nash, V. J., & Bulger, M. (2015). Evidence on the extent of harms experienced by children as a result of online risks: implications for policy and research. Information, Communication & Society, 18(1), 48-62. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2014.934387

It's been a long time coming! We're proud to be able to launch our newest online directory, Selecting Approaches for Effectively Responding to Risk (SAFERR). In this episode, Geoff talks to our Researcher Jihad Diab and our Chief Executive Mark McSherry, about the challenges of translating complex information into an accessible online directory. SAFERR is specifically focussed on the implementation and evaluation of a variety of risk management approaches in the context of their application to forensic populations. SAFERR is ongoing and we're keen to receive feedback on how we can continue to improve what we do to support colleagues working in public protection.

Have a look at SAFERR: https://saferr.rma.scot/ Find out more about the work of the RMA: https://www.rma.scot/

In this bonus feature length episode, we're thrilled to welcome Dr Rajan Darjee to the podcast. Raj has worked in forensic psychiatry for over 20 years, beginning in the UK and now more recently working in Australia. Raj has been an Accredited Risk Assessor with the Risk Management Authority, a vital role in the Scottish justice system when an Order for Lifelong Restriction is being considered. He has worked in secure hospital, prison and community settings, and has extensive experience of working with people who have committed, or are at risk of committing, sexual offences, stalking, intimate partner violence, homicide and other types of serious interpersonal violence. In this episode, Raj talks to us about multi-disciplinary approaches throughout his career, and it all started with Silence of the Lambs...

Find out more about RMA Accredited Assessors: https://www.rma.scot/olr/risk-assessors/

Find out more about Dr Rajan Darjee: https://fbacs.com.au/our-team

Find out more about the work of the RMA: www.rma.scot

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is everywhere right now - from Chat GPT to helping with complex medical diagnoses. But could it be used in crime prevention - for example, can AI really tell if someone is lying? In this episode the team discuss how AI is being used in the justice system today, and if there are areas it could be used in the future, or if our human bias might affect how it performs.

Find out more about the work of the RMA: www.rma.scot

In this episode the team talk about the unique Order for Lifelong Restriction (OLR) in Scotland, and the Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) in England and Wales. These are indeterminate sentences - they don't have a fixed release date. The OLR was introduced in Scotland in 2006 and can only be imposed by the high court. With the OLR, it's possible that the index offence – the crime the individual has been convicted of – may not be a serious violent or sexual offence, but part of a pattern which demonstrates serious harm. The purpose of the sentence is to protect the public from the risk of serious harm. It is made up of a punishment part served in custody, and lifelong risk management. In this epsiode the team discuss the sentence, how it's managed in custody and community, and some of the recent Risk Management Authority research to better understand the experience of the OLR, to better support individuals' progression whilst maintaining public protection.

Find out more about the OLR: https://www.rma.scot/olr/about-the-olr/

Find our research: https://www.rma.scot/research/olr-2/

www.rma.scot