Sweeping changes proposed to reduce Scotland’s prison population

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) has been warning for years that the prison population is unsustainable.

The organisation’s new chief executive, Linda Pollock, described the overstretched conditions as “very serious”.

She added: “We’ve seen this in England and Wales and across Europe as well so we’re not alone, but this is significantly impacting our ability to work with people, to be able to help them on the rehabilitation journey.

“The emergency releases have had an impact but we need further action if we want to be safe and we want to be sustainable.”

Justice Secretary Neil Gray told a Holyrood debate about prison overcrowding that 400 additional spaces are being created within the existing estate.

This is at the delayed and over budget replacement for Barlinnie in Glasgow and a new prison in Inverness, which Gray revealed will now open in the spring of 2027 and not by the end of this year as previously expected .

He added: “Protecting victims and the public is my top priority, and I am clear that prison will always be necessary.

“It is absolutely crucial, however, that our prisons function safely and effectively. If not, rehabilitation breaks down, reoffending rises and more people become victims.

“With the sustained population pressures we have seen over recent years, that is the reality we are facing, and that is why we must act.”