Current status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Angela Constance on 8 July 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the ministerial statement on 16 May 2024, when it plans to publish a consultation on proposals to change how long-term prisoners are released.
A Scottish Government public consultation has been published today on a proposal to change the release process for long-term prisoners. This is further to my statement to Parliament of 16 May 2024 about actions required to address the rising prison population.
The consultation seeks views on amending the point at which most long-term prisoners are released under supervision in the community ahead of the end of their sentence. The consultation includes a specific proposal for this point of release to be following two thirds of sentence.
This would mean that the affected prisoners spend less time in custody and more time in the community. In the community, they would be subject to licence conditions, supervision, and recall. Public and victim safety would remain an absolute priority, with specific support and supervision in place reflecting the outcomes of individualised risk assessment.
In addition to helping reduce the pressures on the prison estate, this proposal is also intended to better support the reintegration of long-term prisoners by providing those leaving prison with a more managed return to their communities, with access to the community supports and rehabilitation they need for a longer period of time.
This proposal forms part of a range of measures designed to respond to the rising prison population and responses will inform legislation to be introduced later in 2024.
The consultation paper can be found at https://consult.gov.scot/justice/prisoner-release-process-consultation/ .