Hustings behind bars as prisoners get vote
POLITICAL hustings will be held in Scotland’s jails under plans to encourage prisoners to use their new right to vote.
Ministers have talked with the Scottish Prison Service about preparations for informing inmates about political issues when some of them get the vote for the first time.
Under the plan, election candidates would attend debates in front of prisoners who are eligible to vote.
Discussions have taken place between the Scottish Government and Scottish Prison Service (SPS) about the introduction of hustings events to boost participation in elections by inmates.
New legislation will extend the vote to all prisoners serving sentences of 12 months or less.
An email from SPS officials to the Scottish Government in May 2019, published in response to a freedom of information request, states that consideration has been given to ‘how prisoners are able to access additional political information in addition to TV and newspapers which they have routine access to’.
It goes on: ‘You had also asked for SPS views in relation to perhaps facilitating “hustings” in prisons. This would be something we would be content to do if required, but subject to the usual requirements that apply to any persons visiting a prison.’
Correspondence between the SPS and Scottish Government shows concerns were raised about what happens if a prisoner has no evidence of a ‘local connection’ to a constituency. Issues around whether prisoners have the right to a ‘proxy’ vote are also highlighted, as well as what happens to Scots prisoners in England.
An analysis of the plans also shows concerns about prisoners forcing other inmates to vote for a particular party. It states: ‘Some respondents emphasised the need to ensure that voter coercion was prevented and postal ballots were filled out privately.’
Scottish Tory Annie Wells said: ‘Those who commit crimes so serious that they receive a custodial sentence should not have the right to vote while they are locked up.
‘The prospect of holding hustings in jails will appal the majority of Scots who agree that prisoners should not have the vote.’
Around 1,000 criminals serving 12 months or less will get the vote in Holyrood and local council elections under proposals published by the SNP Government.
But the Scottish parliament’s standards and procedures committee has urged ministers to go further and consider extending this to a level somewhere between 12 months and four years. The changes will apply to the Scottish parliament and local council elections but not general elections.
A by-election in Shetland in August allowed prisoners to vote, following a special order to comply with human rights laws, although it was estimated fewer than five were eligible.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘This would be an operational matter for the Scottish Prison Service, though we would not anticipate hustings taking place in prisons.’