Reforms needed to tackle prison overcrowding, Justice Secretary says

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Justice Secretary Angela Constance has made a public appeal about prisoners ahead of a vital vote on their early release.

MSPs will debate plans on Tuesday to release thousands of offenders before their sentences end in an effort to free up space in jails across the country.

Ahead of the vote, which will progress to a final stage if it passes this week, Constance said public safety was her “absolute priority” and stressed that rapists and other sexual offenders would not be eligible for early release.

She also said there needed to be “systematic change” to address the problems of overcrowding in prisons and rehabilitation of offenders.

Constance said: “Like elsewhere in the UK the Scottish prison population has grown rapidly in the past year and, without action, is now projected to reach critical levels.

“This week MSPs will vote on proposals to ease some of the pressure by changing the release point for prisoners serving short sentences - less than four years.

“Those serving sentences for sexual offences and domestic abuse will not be eligible and public safety remains my absolute priority.”

She said the government had to take action “to ensure prisons can continue to function safely and effectively” and argued that due to the number of prisoners incarcerated “purposeful activity is greatly reduced and it is more difficult to maintain the relationships between prisoners and staff, both of which are crucial to ensuring safety and effective rehabilitation.”

Constance said alongside early release the government had to “look at the balance between prison sentences and community justice”and said: “Community-based interventions – where offenders pay back to society as an alternative to prison - might, in principle, be unpalatable to some but the reality is that short prison sentences are often not the best way to reduce reoffending.”

She also questioned whether putting people in prison is the best method of allowing them to repay their communities.

Labour, the Conservatives and the Lib Dems opposed the plans when they were voted on at the first stage last week.

The Greens and SNP backed the proposals, which could see between 260 and 390 prisoners released in batches over six weeks by early February.

If approved it will change the automatic release date for sentences of four years or less from 50 per cent of the term to 40 per cent.

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