The Scottish Association for the Study of Offending aims to create a common meeting ground, both nationally and locally, for all the professional groups and individuals concerned with the issues raised by offending in Scotland.

It provides an opportunity for an exchange of views by its members, enabling them to explain their own problems and to appreciate the problems of others engaged in related fields.

The Association was called the Scottish Association for the Study of Delinquency (SASD) until 2004 when a decision was made to update the name. In every other respect, the Association remained unchanged.

Association activities

There are SASO Branches in Aberdeen, Dumfries, Dundee, Edinburgh, Fife, Perth, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Orkney and Shetland. Each branch carries out its own programme of meetings and local conferences.
Photographs from Glasgow SASO's Annual Conference 2007 can be found here.

SASO organises an annual residential conference in Peebles on the 3rd weekend in November. It attracts distinguished speakers from both within and outwith Scotland. Recent contributors have included Lord Woolf, Cathy Jamieson MSP, Minister for Justice, Professor Sir Anthony Bottoms, the Solicitor General, and Professor Andrew Coyle.
The 2007 conference was on 'Alcohol and Violence'.

The Association publishes The Scottish Journal of Criminal Justice Studies annually. It contains original articles, research briefings, reviews and conference reports on criminal justice in Scotland.

New

• Book now for the Glasgow branch conference on "Is Justice for the Community, Justice by the Community?" Monday May 12th at Strathclyde University. For more details and a booking form please see Branch conferences.
  Speakers for the have been confirmed as Anne Connolly, Chief Officer, Glasgow Community Justice Authority
  Julius Lang, Center for Court Innovation (Red Hook)
  Prof. Candance McCoy, City University of New York
  Mike Nellis, Professor of Criminal and Community Justice Glasgow School of Social Work
  Prof. Stephen Phillips MBE, Panel Chair West Dunbartonshire
  Tim Richley, Sacro's Criminal Justice Advisor, Circles of Support and Accountability.
• The Dumfries and Galloway branch conference will be on 19th September 2008.
• SASO has a new administrator. Irene Cameron took over from Carol McNeill on the 7th January 2008.
  Irene's details are:
  Irene Cameron
  Association Management Solutions,
  PO Box 2781,
  Glasgow
  G61 3YL
  Tel/fax 0141 560 4092
  
• The 2007 edition of the The Scottish Journal of Criminal Justice Studies is now online here.
• Glasgow SASO Branch conference 2007. Presentations and pictures now up on Branch conferences page.

Forthcoming branch events

• Details of local events across Scotland for the 2007-8 meetings programme will go on-line when available. Check SASO Branches for events in your area.