New programmes to divert young people from crime have been installed in schools and youth correctional facilities across Glasgow and Scotland.

The Wise Group will begin 2020 with three new programmes to reduce crime by supporting people in, or at the fringes of, the justice system.

Each programme will support successful initiatives already having a positive impact on the lives of people across Scotland.

The Wise Group’s early intervention work with young people, New Routes No Limits - which initially began in Springburn - will now be offered to young people at St Mungo’s Academy in Glasgow’s East End from the end of this month.

Mentors from the Wise Group, many with personal experience of the justice system, will work with young people aged 11 to14 to empower them to make positive life choices by hearing from others who have personal experience of anti-social behaviour, crime and addiction.

Designed in collaboration with schools, pupils and community police officers, it is run over six double periods in the school. Young people are also offered one to one mentoring to support long-term behaviour change.

Mentors cover topics including peer pressure, drugs, alcohol, mental wellbeing, violence, and relationships.

Hamish Robertson, from the Wise Group, said:

“Empowering our young people to make informed choices upstream will prevent them from being caught up in a current of crime, changing the course of their lives and leading to fewer victims of crime.

“Bringing together partners, our experienced mentors and over 10 years’ experience working with people in the justice system, these programmes will lift people out of poverty and transform the lives of our young people, their families and their communities.”

Further support for 30 young people will be offered through the expansion of the successful Get the Life You Want programme in Scotland’s HMYOI Polmont from January, commissioned by the Scottish Government Youth Justice Team.

Get the Life You Want is delivered to groups of young people approaching liberation or on remand and focuses on empowerment through goal setting, mindset and achieving success through making the right choices.

The Wise Group will also be supporting Children 1st by providing one day training to their team of Safeguarders, who can be appointed by children’s hearings or sheriffs when they think there is a requirement to safeguard the interests of a child in proceedings.

These developments follow a hugely successful year for The Wise Group, which in 2019 saw an expansion of its national mentoring programme, New Routes Mentoring.

The group also were awarded a place on the shortlist at the 2019 Scottish Public Service Awards for the work on Get the Life You Want.