Hundreds of criminals may have to be released as ‘Scotland’s jails are too full’

HUNDREDS of criminals may have to be released because Scotland’s jails are too full and “we cannot take any more”, the head of the country’s prison service has warned.

Teresa Medhurst said prisons are reaching a “tipping point” and emergency powers could be needed to release inmates early, with no restrictions placed on them.

The chief executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) told the BBC’S Disclosure programme “all options would need to be on the table” if numbers continued to rise. There are currently about 8,000 behind bars in Scotland but that is projected to rise to 8,700 this year.

Ms Medhurt said the SNP would have to consider freeing criminals if the prison population went above 8,500 and she said Police Scotland are already looking at how it can divert people away from court and that efforts were being made to tackle the backlog of those on remand awaiting trial.

She said prisons are also looking to double the number of inmates released with electronic tags, as well as considering pre-fabricated housing blocks.

Angela Constance, the SNP Justice Secretary, said ministers were looking at new legislation, contingency measures and investing in community sentences to try to cut the jail population.

But the number of people in prison awaiting trial in Scotland has increased to record levels, with almost a quarter of inmates having not been convicted.

Ms Medhurst said: “If I have to say enough is enough then it is because we are at a tipping point. We cannot take any more. Prisons become very unsafe.

“The atmosphere, the tension, the volatility increases. Levels of violence increase, levels of self-harm increase.”

Andy Hodge, the governor at HMP Perth, said: “The pressure of population is forcing us to put more people into one room ... tensions start to build, people start to fall out ... violence among the residents starts to go up.”

Russell Findlay, of the Scottish Conservatives, said: “This warning is deeply concerning but comes as no surprise to anyone who has been paying attention to the SNP Government’s negligent stewardship of the entire justice system.

“Long overdue new jails in Glasgow and the Highlands are years late and millions of pounds over budget while the existing estate is falling part,” he said. “Freeing prisoners who are locked up for good reason is not the answer.”

HM Inspectorate for Prisons in Scotland published a report last month warning “too many” inmates are on remand.

‘The system is falling apart [but] freeing prisoners who are locked up for good reason is not the answer