Although probation in Scotland has a long history, criminal justice social work only emerged as a distinct specialism as a result of the Law Reform Act of 1990. The Act provided for the development of the National Objectives and Standards (NOS). It enabled the emergence of renewed professional identity within social work supported by specialist qualifications. The implications were that criminal justice social work should be able to make a range of community disposals available to the courts, specifically for nonviolent offenders and less serious offenders. In the delivery of social work, there have been changes, both politically and organizationally, with greater emphasis on providing these services in partnership with others working in the fields of education, health, and justice in the public, private, and voluntary sectors. The Management of Offenders Act 2005 established a National Advisory Body on Offender Management. The first National Strategy for the Management of Offenders was published in 2006, aimed at encouraging a set of common aims and expected outcomes centered on increased public protection and delivering a consistent approach to managing offenders in prison and in the community. In the context of grasping and understanding these critical and potentially far-reaching reforms, this book is divided into three parts. Part I aims to provide an analysis of the challenges currently faced in community justice in Scotland. Part II provides an account of the legal contexts of criminal justice social work services in Scotland. Part III examines the question of how the practice of supervising offenders in the community might be best developed in order to support desistance, better social integration, and reduce reoffending. In order for the current changes in Scotland to realize their potential, the agenda needs to move beyond crime reduction and towards Scottish community justice. Figures, tables, appendix and references