Decision due over early release for Scotland’s long-term prisoners

Scotland’s prisons currently house 2,037 prisoners serving determinate sentences of four to 10 years, and 465 on sentences of 10 years or more.

The Scottish government says if the new system had been in force in May this year, around 320 prisoners would have been released straight away, with a sustained long-term reduction of up to 4.1%.

Part of its argument is that this could benefit the prisoners and wider society because they’ll serve a third of their sentence under supervision in the community, giving them a greater chance of going straight.

The Justice Secretary Angela Constance talks of changing the balance between jail and supervision, and making more use of measures like home detention curfew.

“Other European countries have lower prison populations and continue to have safe communities,” she says.

“There is much we can learn from other countries, particularly in the use of alternatives to custody.”

The change would require legislation which means the SNP government will require the assistance of other parties to make it happen.

Ministers will be acutely aware of the risks. If a long-term prisoner released early goes on to commit a serious crime, the Scottish government could find itself held partly to blame, every time it happens.