Scottish prisons are once again facing overcrowding, with the number of incarcerated people now higher than before hundreds were released as part of an early release scheme introduced to ease the burden. The emergency program, which saw 477 prisoners out early between June and July, was brought in response to a sharp rise in the number of prisoners, following which the prison population fell by 350 to 7,882. However, in less than a month, the numbers were back up again to 8,241, raising questions as to whether further releases will be necessary.
Those eligible for the program had been sentenced to less than four years in jail and had fewer than 180 days left to serve. However, it later emerged that more than a third of those released had been serving sentences for violent crimes, and the scheme didn’t apply to people convicted of sexual or domestic abuse crimes. The situation had reached a critical level earlier in the year, with the Scottish Chief Inspector of Prisons calling for action as the prison population neared its maximum.
Justice Secretary Angela Constance had warned that increased prison numbers had “significantly increased the risk to the health, safety and welfare of both prisoners and SPS staff, as well as to the security and the good order of the prison estate”. Despite this, Scotland must now decide its next course of action. The Scottish government has said that it is considering “a number of actions” to tackle overcrowding and that several steps were already being taken. However, groups supporting victims have expressed disappointment at the move, noting early release had been ineffective, with the prison population always inevitably bouncing back.
In England and Wales, more than 1,700 prisoners were given early release to make room for those jailed for their involvement in far-right riots. A similar level of disorder has not been seen in Scotland
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