Over fifty criminals released early under SNP Government scheme have offended again
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.
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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."
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.
Figures released by the SNO Government show the overall prison population has “increased rapidly” since July and is projected to rise even further.
The report predicts the population could exceed 9,000 by December, but the capacity of the Scottish Prison Service is around 8,000.
First Minister John Swinney said recently the early release of prisoners had not solved overcrowding.
He told MSPs: "We still face a serious situation and I fully expect the justice secretary to have to come back to parliament to brief parliament about the current situation. Because although the release of 477 prisoners during June and July as part of the early release scheme has helped, it has not solved the situation. I suspect that will come back to parliament in due course and we are considering the options that are available there."
Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay said: "We warned that the SNP’s decision to set free hundreds of prisoners before they’d done their time would result in more crime on Scotland’s streets - and that’s exactly what has happened.
“Despite knowing this to be inevitable, ministers still decided to recklessly open the prison gates.
“This mass reoffending comes after it emerged that the vast majority of victims were not even told about early release and represents yet another example of SNP soft-touch justice.
“Worryingly, the SNP Government’s botched prison-building programme, coupled with the projected rise in the prison population, means we’re likely to see even more offenders freed early by ministers.”
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