Community Justice: Seen and Supervised

The exhibition offers visitors the chance to experience a visually engaging display of photographs created by justice social workers and people subject to community supervision. It provides a rare opportunity to see the realities of probation work and life under community justice orders, brought to life through images and captions that capture both professional challenges and personal experiences.

Alongside the exhibition, visitors will be invited to share their own thoughts and reactions, contributing to a live dialogue about the purpose and meaning of probation today.

Three times as many people are supervised in the community as are imprisoned, yet there have been few in-depth attempts to understand the nature of supervision and its growth. This exhibition is about shining a light on the often-invisible world of community supervision—the work of justice social workers (probation officers) and the experiences of people serving community sentences.

Through photographs and personal reflections, collected as part of a UK-wide research project, the exhibition explores how supervision is lived, the challenges and stigma it creates, and the human relationships at its heart. By combining images, captions, and interactive elements, it opens up a public conversation about the purpose of probation, the pressures it places on those who work within it, and what it means for the communities it serves.

Dr Fern Gillon

Research Associate, Comparing Penal Supervision, University of Strathclyde

All

Of particular interest to working-age adults who may hold misconceptions or lack awareness of community justice practices. Similarly, those with lived or professional experience of the criminal justice system.

This is a drop-in event. 

If you’re not local to East Kilbride the centre is easy to get to. East Kilbride is 10 miles south east of Glasgow, with good access from the motorway network and easy to get to either by car or public transport.

CAR

If you’re coming via the M77, exit at junction 5 and continue on the A726 to East Kilbride. From the M74, come off at junction 5 and follow the A725 to East Kilbride.

Once you get here, parking is easy – there are 4 different car parks – and parking is free at selected times.

BUS

East Kilbride bus station is situated at the shopping centre and has regular direct services from Lanarkshire, Glasgow, Ayrshire and Edinburgh.

For up-to-the-minute information on buses, call SPT on 0141 332 6811 or follow the links below.

TRAIN

East Kilbride train station is only a 5 minute walk to the centre. There’s a regular service from Glasgow Central which runs every half hour throughout the day, or every 20 minutes at peak times. For up-to-date information on timetable and fares, see the Scotrail website.

ACCESSIBILITY

ACCESS TO BUILDING

Shopmobility at East Kilbride is run by Healthy & Active in East Kilbride. The charitable service is run by staff and volunteers and offers manual and powered wheelchairs and scooters on loan to members of the public with limited mobility.

You’ll find the Shopmobility service located in The Meeting Place in Olympia (access via the lower level of Car Park 3: The Hub/Olympia)