The Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs has written to the
Criminal Justice Committee to outline the actions being taken to
tackle the rise in the prison population which has been growing
consistently since the start of the year, an issue facing all
four nations in the UK.
The letter states that the recent increase in the number of
people arriving on remand, along with a longer term trend of more
people being convicted of serious crimes, which receive longer
sentences, are some of the reasons the prison population has
increased to levels beyond prediction, with the impact being felt
across the justice system.
It reaffirms Scottish Government’s commitment to encourage more
widespread use of community-based interventions where appropriate
and highlights recent government action including:
- extending the presumption against short sentences from 3 to
12 months in 2019;
- introducing electronic monitoring on bail (with around 400
people now supervised);
- passing the Bail and Release from Custody (Scotland) Act 2023
to refocuses how remand is used so that it is reserved for those
who pose a risk to public and victim safety;
- providing a total of £134 million to support community
justice services in 2023-24.
Ms Constance said: “It is clear that action needs to be taken to
address the increasing prison population which has extended
beyond predictions. The rise is influenced by multiple factors
including reducing the backlog of cases in our justice system by
over a third.
“The Scottish Government is not changing its position on the use
of prisons. They are necessary and the removal of someone’s
liberty must always be available for our independent courts.
Equally, we know that short periods of imprisonment, including
for remand, can also have a hugely negative impact on individuals
– disrupting families, their health, employment opportunities and
housing which can then lead to reoffending.
“We are now working with justice partners to take forward a
series of measures including making the best use of the current
prison estate and sourcing additional prisoner places to ensure
the safety and wellbeing of people living and working in prisons
and those around them.”
