‘Slap on wrists’ for parole breach cons
Warning letters ‘unlikely to deter’ worst criminals
DOZENS of Scotland’s most serious criminals have breached the terms of their parole – and nearly half of them got away with ‘a slap on the wrist’.
In the last full year, 55 life sentence prisoners were accused of breaching licence conditions after they were released on parole.
But only 26 were recalled to custody, while 25 were issued with a warning letter.
Critics branded the figures ‘shocking’ and a symptom of the ‘soft-touch’ system.
Fears have been raised that rapists and murderers may be among those breaking strict conditions for leaving jail.
The figures were in a new
Parole Board for Scotland report. It said that, in 2020-21, there were 55 different occasions where life sentence prisoners were accused of breaching licence conditions on parole or where their behaviour caused ‘concern in the community’.
Warning letters were issued to 25 life sentence prisoners during the year, while 26 were recalled to custody. Other cases were still outstanding or deferred.
Scottish Tory justice spokesman Jamie Greene said: ‘Given that many life prisoners have committed some of the most heinous of crimes such as rape and murder, it seems unlikely a letter is any sort of deterrent for these criminals breaching serious parole conditions. It is shocking to see that the very worst criminals can breach parole and only get a slap on the wrist.
‘But this is symptomatic of the soft-touch justice system the SNP have foisted on Scotland. The very worst life prisoners
SOFT TOUCH JUSTICE should not be released in the first place.’
The report says 494 life prisoner cases were considered in 2020-21 and 280 were not recommended for release. Its foreword says the ‘fundamental consideration’ behind all decisions is ‘whether the risk posed by releasing a prisoner into the community is acceptable and safely manageable’.
Life prisoners are considered for possible release on ‘life licence’ at the end of the punishment part of their sentence.
But the Parole Board must be satisfied ‘it is no longer necessary for the protection of the public that the prisoner should continue to be confined’.
Licence conditions can include staying at a specific address and receiving counselling.
The Scottish Government said Parole Board members ‘apply expertise’ in considering breaches of licence conditions ‘to limit risk, including, where considered appropriate, revocation of licences and recalling offenders to custody’.
THE failures of the parole system are wellknown – but the latest disturbing revelations are utterly damning.
Scores of serious criminals have breached the terms of their parole – and nearly half of them were let off with ‘a slap on the wrists’.
In the last full year, 55 life sentence prisoners were accused of breaching licence conditions after they were released on parole. Yet only 26 of them were recalled to custody – while 25 were issued with a warning letter.
As Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Jamie Greene observes, ‘given that many life prisoners have committed some of the most heinous of crimes such as rape and murder, it seems unlikely a letter is any sort of deterrent for these criminals breaching serious parole conditions’.
It is another stark reminder that the SNP’s toxic brand of soft-touch justice has prioritised the rights of criminals over those of their victims.