Scottish prisons ‘bursting at the seams’ warns John Swinney as further early release possible
John Swinney has told how his Government will step in to ensure safety in Scotland’s prisons, which he said are “absolutely bursting at the seams”.
With 8,322 inmates inside Scotland’s jails as of Thursday morning, the First Minister conceded it is a “challenge” for ministers to meet their obligation to “run a stable and safe prison system”.
He was speaking ahead of a statement by Justice Secretary Angela Constance, which could see more offenders released early from their sentences.
A similar initiative saw 477 convicts freed during an early release programme this summer in a bid to ease overcrowding.
Mr Swinney insisted the Scottish Government will “take a responsible approach” to the issue, adding that ministers will “always take into account the perspectives and the views of victims”.
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay raised fears about the kind of prisoners who could be granted their freedom if ministers opt for a repeat of the early release scheme.
Pressing Mr Swinney during First Minister’s Questions at the Scottish Parliament, Mr Findlay said: “The Government is now considering the early release of some of the most dangerous criminals in Scotland.”
He added that victims’ groups fear “killers, rapists, domestic abusers, drug dealers and child abusers could be freed early”.
Mr Findlay added: “Let’s take a look at the kind of criminals we could be talking about if a new form of SNP early release is announced today.
“Here’s some examples of recent sentences imposed by Scottish courts – seven years for raping a 10-year-old girl, nine years for stabbing a man to death, five years for sexually abusing four young boys.
“All of these criminals, and many, many others like them, could be let out early.”
He condemned the SNP Government for the “catastrophic state” of Scotland’s prisons.
Mr Findlay claimed: “Over the past 17 years the SNP have relentlessly weakened justice in Scotland, criminals already get away with inflicting pain and misery on innocent people due to the SNP’s failure to tackle crime. Victims and the law abiding majority are paying the price.
“For far too long the SNP’s justice system has sided with criminals and not victims.”
But Mr Swinney insisted those claims were “patently untrue” and “complete nonsense”.
The First Minister told MSPs: “Over the last decade the average length of prison sentences has increased by 32%, that statistic alone demonstrates that Russell Findlay is putting complete nonsense to me.”
He added that 98% of those convicted of either rape or attempted rape between 2019 and 2022 had had a prison term imposed, saying that was “another fact which refutes what Russell Findlay has put to me today”.
He said the Government has “an obligation to ensure we run a stable and safe prison system”, and stressed the need to “address the rising prison population in a sustainable and effective way”.
Mr Swinney said: “Fundamentally there is a difficulty about the rise in the prison population, the prison population this morning is sitting at 8,322, it’s a very high level.
“Ministers are concerned for the wellbeing of prison officer staff and for prisoners as a consequence of the level of congestion there is in our prisons.”