The Scottish Liberal Democrats conference this past weekend was quite something. It was fantastic to be in a room full of likeminded people and to play a part in some truly compelling debates.

We stayed true to that time honoured Lib Dem principle of disagreeing well, as shown by the thoughtful discussions on gender balance in selections and the policy motion, which I brought to conference, on further restrictions around smoking. Both motions were passed after fantastic input from both sides of the argument.

However, I wanted to reflect on something particularly close to my heart: the mini-motion I proposed, which was debated on Saturday morning. I called for mentorship schemes in every Scottish prison to help tackle the twin crises of reoffending and overcrowding.

This issue matters deeply to me, and here’s why:

Three years ago, I volunteered for a mentorship organisation dedicated to keeping young male offenders out of prison. I quickly learned that these young men all had one thing in common: for their entire lives, they had been branded as “troublemakers” and “wasters.” These labels stuck and shaped how they viewed both themselves and the world around them.

During the programme, we were taught a well-known African proverb that has stayed with me ever since:

“The child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down, just to feel its warmth.”

That was exactly what many of these young men were in the process of doing. With tears in their eyes, they shared how they felt abandoned and dismissed by the very people who were meant to guide them through early life. They told harrowing stories of violence and loss, of seeing friends stabbed and killed. This sense of rejection led many into a cycle of rebellion, lawbreaking, and ultimately prison.

Now, let’s be clear: these young men were no angels. Many had broken the law, but they were also full of positive potential. Once they received the mentorship they had always craved, I watched them turn their lives around. You couldn’t help but feel proud of them.

Too often our justice system still operates solely from a model of punishment for punishments sake. While prisons exist to protect the community and play a necessary role, we must ask what we actually want them to achieve.

They must have some positive and transformative affect. It’s as simple as this – the best way to reduce the number of people in prisons is to reduce the number of people who commit crimes.

The best way to reduce the number of people who harm their communities is by giving them a community to belong to. It’s by supporting them and guiding them to make better decisions for themselves and the people around them.

Mentorship programmes, when done right, allow individuals to leave prison with hope rather than shame. With a sense that they are more than the bad things that have happened to them and the bad things they have done. Properly rehabilitated they are less likely to re-offend.

Genuine redemption as the end point of justice, that’s what these programmes can be.

As Liberal Democrats we should champion fresh approaches like this. From a practical perspective, these schemes are cost-effective, and by reducing re-offending, they save the taxpayer more than they cost. Many existing mentorship programmes are run by charities and rely on volunteer mentors, who often gain as much from the experience as the mentees. I know I did.

These schemes aren’t a silver bullet, and they require genuine commitment from offenders to succeed, but when they work, they can be nothing short of transformative for individuals and communities alike.

That’s why I’m determined to bring a full motion on this to the next Scottish conference. Watch this space!

* Adam Harley grew up and lives in East Dunbartonshire. He stood as the candidate for Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch at the last general election. A former actor and charity campaigner he now works for the Scottish Liberal Democrats at Holyrood.