SPS Deputy Programme Executive, John Docherty has been spreading the word about Scotland's approach to women in custody.
For the past five years, he was part of the team who developed SPS' new Strategy for Women in Custody and Community Custody Units (CCUs).
Opened last year, the Bella and Lilias Centres are unlike any other establishment in the Scottish Prison Service estate; in fact, they are the first of their kind anywhere in the UK.
He also spoke to Prison Insider, an information platform which brings together different types of experience and expertise, raising awareness about prison conditions across the world.
Such is the uniqueness of the CCUs, John has also been invited to speak to them and the work of the SPS at two international conferences this year.
One was organised by RESCALED, a European network organisation with members in nine countries,: Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Ireland, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and Spain. They advocate for the concept of small scale detention facilities as an alternative to traditional prisons.
The other was hosted by RUBIKON CENTRUM, a third sector organisation and members of RESCALED who, along with the Czech Prison Service, invited John to give a keynote presentation and take part in two expert panels on Scotland’s approach to women in custody.