Over fifty criminals released early under SNP Government scheme have offended again

The Government backed an emergency release scheme to help address a crisis in overcrowding in prisons

Over fifty criminals freed early under the SNP Government’s emergency release scheme have offended again. The inmates were returned to jail after committing offences including violence and crimes of dishonesty.

A total of 477 prisoners were released early over the summer to tackle a crisis in overcrowding. Individuals serving short sentences of less than four years who had 180 days or less left to serve qualified for release.

Lifers or those serving time for sexual, domestic abuse or terror-based offences were automatically excluded.

According to new figures reported by Sky News, 57 of the inmates are back in prison after reoffending. Twenty cases involved non-sexual crimes of violence and seventeen related to dishonesty. Damage and reckless behaviour accounted for fewer than five cases while there were eight crimes against society and the same number of antisocial offences.

A Scottish Prison Service (SPS) spokesperson said: "We have been open and transparent throughout, publishing the number of individuals released at each stage, followed by a series of breakdowns. The latest publication on returns to custody continues this approach."

A spokeswoman for the Scottish Government said the re-offending rate of those released early was lower than others sentenced to four years or less.

“Whilst no level of re-offending is acceptable and we do not want any more victims of crime, the return to custody rate for those released under the scheme was substantially lower than the average re-conviction rate of those serving four years or less,” she said.

“The early release scheme for some short-term prisoners was necessary so prisons could continue to function safely and effectively following a sharp and unexpected rise in the prison population.

“Public safety was paramount, with only those serving less than four years considered, with the majority eligible for release having 90 days or less left to serve.

“There were specific safeguards built into the process, including exclusions for those serving domestic abuse and sexual offences, and a governor power of veto for those prisoners deemed an immediate risk to a specific individual or group.”

It comes as new figures show the prison population is projected to be over capacity by more than 1,000 inmates within weeks.

The number of prisoners has increased despite the emergency early release programme.

The population could exceed 9,000 by December, but the capacity of the Scottish Prison Service is around 8,000.

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Labour justice spokesperson Pauline McNeill said: “It’s clear prisons in Scotland are still at crisis point.

“These problems have been years in the making, as the SNP has failed to modernise our Victorian prison estate or tackle the courts backlog.

“The SNP must come clean about whether it is planning another round of early releases and it must set out how it will ensure public safety is protected.”

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