Tory MSP backs Stewart family’s campaign
A tory MsP this week backed the stewart family’s call for “Michelle’s law” to be introduced in scotland.
Ayr MsP John scott said the parole board must take into account the victim’s families concerns and views.
He attended the meeting with the stewart family and Justice secretary Humza Yousef in Ayr last Friday.
Mr scott told the Post: “We hear too much about the rights of prisoners, the rights of criminals, the rights of offenders, and what we need to do is rebalance the law.
“Now we need more input for victims’ families.
“When the prisoner is being released we need to think more about the rehabilitation.
“Where do they go? We need to think about exclusion zones and give more thought to this.
“We need look at refusing to rehouse them into the area where they have committed the crime.
“this would mean that Wilson couldn’t come to Ayr or Ayrshire.”
the scottish Conservatives are repeating their call for MrYousaf to order a full review of sentencing, parole and home release policy and to include the consideration of longer jail terms for murderers.
the scottish Prison service can’t comment on individual cases.
A spokesman said: “somebody serving a life sentence receives what is known as a punishment part to their sentence, so at the time of sentencing the judge will decide on a period of time that the individual must spend in custody before they are considered for parole. somebody getting access to the community doesn’t mean that they’re going to be released in the next five minutes, or indeed in the next five years.
“that community access process is all about determining whether or not an individual has engaged effectively during custody and helps to access the risk that individual might pose if they go back into the community.
“that process is applied to all life sentence prisoners.”