More spending urged for Scotland’s prisons

Spending on prisons needs to be raised in next year’s budget and more done to improve standards and combat overcrowding, according to a Scottish Parliament committee.

A report by the justice committee has called for realterms increases to revenue and capital spending on the Scottish Prison Service, and urged the government to set out spending plans aimed at alternatives to custody as well as e investment to deter reoffending or crimes being committed in the first place.

Convener Margaret Mitchell warned that Scottish prisons are “worryingly over” recommended capacity, as the prison population is among Europe’s highest. A presumption against sentences of less than 12 months was passed by Parliament in June in an attempt to cut numbers.

She said: “There is no silver bullet to solving the problems our prisons face... it is not possible to build our way out of the problem. The committee is clear that a wider conversation about plans to increase the use of alternatives to custody and preventative spend must be held.”