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IN A series of short films, offenders share their authentic and raw stories.

It’s part of a campaign by Community Justice Scotland to make us think about how we deal with offenders.

The national agency are responsible for reducing reoffending in Scotland, where we have one of the highest incarceration rates in Europe.

Short jail sentences are not only less effective at reducing reoffending than sentences in the community, they can also have additional negative effects including homelessness, unemployment and family separation.

As ex-offender Malky says: “No one wakes up and decides to be a criminal. Everybody deserves a second chance.”

He fell into crime aged 16 after his parents split, his life came apart and he turned to drugs.

Today, Malky manages a project helping other people with drug and alcohol issues.

In another film, Jenny says: “I’m not afraid to say I messed up.”

She was later able to get an honours degree in criminal justice.

We all make mistakes or can suffer from a terrible lapse of judgment but for some people it can be catastrophic. That’s what happened to my friend; super-smart, funny and kind, she made a one-off error that continues to reverberate throughout her life.

Reeling from the loss of her parents and an alcohol dependency spiralling out of control, she stupidly climbed into