PRISONERS MAY GET RIGHT TO VOTE

Tory fury over plan that could give inmates a say in elections

DANGEROUS criminals could be given the right to vote in prison, it was revealed yesterday – despite Nicola Sturgeon previously admitting she opposed the move.

The First Minister announced plans for a public consultation on the controversial proposal to allow those serving custodial sentences to take part in elections.

During her Programme for Government speech, Miss Sturgeon failed to mention the move – but Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson stated she would not support the idea after spotting it in the document.

Plans to consider giving inmates the vote are contained within the Government’s programme, which Miss Sturgeon claimed would put victims first with a ‘major package’ of reforms.

The proposal states that an Electoral Franchise Bill will be brought forward after a ‘consultation on prisoner voting has been undertaken’.

The Scottish Conservatives oppose the move, claiming that this, along with the failure to address concerns over the parole system, do not ‘give victims a meaningful place in the justice system’.

It had been thought the Government would use its programme to announce a strengthening of the justice system followstart ing a series of issues raised by victims and families.

But Miss Sturgeon failed to reveal any radical plans and instead said ministers would engage with voluntary groups to assist victims and look at increasing transparency in the parole system.

Miss Sturgeon previously said she was not in favour of handing votes to all prisoners, after Holyrood’s equalities and human rights commission backed the move.

Speaking in May, she said: ‘I’m certainly not persuaded of enfranchising prisoners who are in prison for the most serious and heinous crimes and are perhaps in prison for lengthy periods of time.’

But yesterday, the First Minister said she would ‘reform the justice system’. Her Government, she said, would ‘improve the support we give to the victims of crime’.

The SNP leader highlighted a ‘major package’ of reforms, which includes expanding the number of offences in which victims will get the right to give impact statements, giving families and victims more support and information when prisoners are released, and a new support service for those affected by murder or culpable homicide.

But she failed to commit to a tightening of the parole and home leave systems, which have been heavily criticised in recent months.

Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Liam Kerr said: ‘These reforms for victims’ rights are a good but far short of the specific measures demanded by victims and their families.

‘In addition, the SNP is ploughing on with the presumption against short sentences, which will enable serious criminals to avoid jail.

‘Alarmingly, the SNP is continuing with their consultation to give prisoners the votes.

‘This simply demonstrates that the SNP is unable to give victims a meaningful place in the justice system.’

The Programme for Government outlines plans to consult on new protective orders which would ban perpetrators of domestic abuse from their victims’ homes – even if this means they would be unable to return to their shared properties.

The Government will move forward with plans to extend the presumption against short sentences from three months to 12 months, and new legislation will be introduced bringing in a drug-drive limit covering 17 different substances.

‘Improve support for victims’