Scotland: prisons ‘bursting at seams’ as inmate numbers pass 8,000

Scotland’s rising prison population has topped the 8,000 mark, prompting fears it is heading towards the highest levels since the Scottish Parliament was established.

The unwanted benchmark has been reached despite high-profile efforts to drive down prison numbers. The Scottish Government is poised to introduce a presumption against prison sentences of 12 months or less – up from the existing three-month limit – as part of a drive to cut the number of inmates.

Scotland has one of the highest incarceration rates across Europe.

The Liberal Democrats have been leading calls at Holyrood for a rethink, warning the existing system is unsafe for staff and inmates. Scotland’s prison population hit 8,020 towards the end of last month, official figures show.
This compares with a post-devolution high of 8,400 in 2012. Lib Dem justice spokesman Liam McArthur said: “Scotland’s prisons are bursting at the seams. Taking incarceration rates back up towards the highest levels seen by the Scottish Parliament is not a sign of a progressive justice system.“

Two-thirds of Scotland’s prisons are officially overcrowded. This bumper prison population just isn’t sustainable. It’s putting prison staff and inmates at risk.

“The evidence shows that community sentences are better than prison at reducing the chance of people re-offending, meaning communities are safer. The savings that can be made from the new presumption against sentences of less than 12 months must be reinvested into making community-based sentences robust.“

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