Aid & Abet

Aid & Abet supports people involved in the criminal justice system in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Lothian, with a focus on those who have been in custody. It is an initiative that is led by people who have, themselves, been in prison, mostly as a result of addiction problems. This direct experience gives Aid & Abet its strength.

Our vision is: “Once someone has been in prison, they need never go back”.

The name puts a positive spin on a well-worn piece of legal jargon. We aid people, and abet them in their determination to make good on their intentions to avoid the routes their past has taken them in.

Aid & abet is a peer led organisation offering a support service to people on their release from prison. We use our own lived experience in the hope to help others resettle into the community. We focus on preventing the return to prison by avoiding homelessness and sticking by the person emotionally in the crucial 72 hours after their release. A study has shown that this has proven to be when the person is at their most vulnerable.

A distinctive feature of the initiative is that it is led by people who have themselves been in prison, mostly as a result of addiction problems. This direct experience gives Aid & Abet its strength.