ALMOST 400 more short-term prisoners are set to be released from February under SNP ministers’ latest move to tackle overcrowded prisons, it emerged today
The Scottish Sun revealed last week how an emergency bill was set to be laid in Holyrood in the coming days – with inmates freed from early 2025.
Prisoners serving sentences of less than 4 years could be released after serving 40 per cent of their sentence[/caption]
And today Justice Secretary Angela Constance confirmed plans to pass the law in the coming weeks then release between 260 and 390 inmates in three waves over six weeks from February.
The Prisoners (Early Release) (Scotland) Bill proposes prisoners serving sentences of less than four years – apart from those sentenced for domestic abuse or sexual offence – would be released after serving 40 per cent of their sentence, rather than 50 per cent at present.
It paves the way for the initial wave of releases, then all prisoners who meet the criteria then free earlier when they reach 40 per cent of their sentence.
And the Bill will also give SNP ministers the power to release prisoners serving sentences of four years or more – such as killers – without parliamentary approval in future.
Ms Constance said: “Long-term action is necessary to deliver a sustained reduction to the prison population and support the effective functioning of prisons.
“We need the prison system to focus on those who pose the greatest risk to the public and provide a range of support to help reduce reoffending and integration back into the community.”
The SNP’s knee-jerk plans to release even more prisoners represent a threat to public safety
Liam Kerr
But Scottish Conservative shadow justice secretary Liam Kerr said: “The SNP’s knee-jerk plans to release even more prisoners represent a threat to public safety and highlights the appalling lack of strategy and planning at the heart of the SNP’s approach to justice.
“Victims will be deeply alarmed that ministers are now planning to railroad through legislation without full scrutiny that will release some categories of prisoners at an even earlier stage in their sentence and hold open the ability for the Government to do the same for more dangerous prisoners.”
We told last week of warnings from councils and prison inspectors that cash-strapped local authorities – who deal with ex-prisoners on probation – would “struggle” with the additional workload.
The Scottish Government yesterday claimed that releasing prisoners “in three tranches over six weeks” would “allow the Scottish Prison Service and other delivery organisations to prepare to implement the change in release point”.
In June and July, 477 people were let out early under a previous emergency scheme – but dozens reoffended within weeks and were put back behind bars.
Scotland’s prison population was 8,253 this month, above the target capacity of 8,007.
Critics have blamed SNP ministers for the crisis after years of delays to upgrading or renewing prisons.
