Number of inmates held on remand at record levels
Around a quarter of prisoners in Scotland’s jails last year were being held on remand, new figures show, with the proportion of inmates who were either untried or unsentenced reaching a record level.
The average daily prisoner population for 2021-22 was 7,504 – up from 7,339 the previous year. Despite the rise, the average daily prison population is down from the high of 8,198 in 2019-20.
Overall prisoner numbers were described as “stable” in 2021-22, but the average numberof rem and prisoners–those awaiting either trial or sentencing–increased by about 14 per cent from 1,634 in 2020-21 to 1,862.
A report setting out the latest prison population statistics for Scotland said: “On the average day in 2021-22, around 25 per cent of the prison population were held on remand – the largest proportion on remand on record.”
The slight increase in the average prison population to 7,504 comes after the total“fell rapidlyin the first three months of the pandemic, from around 8,000 in March 2020 to just under 7,000 by June” of that year.
But the report added: “The population rose thereafter, and broadly stabilised from September 2020 at around 7,500.”
The average prison population“remained stable at this level throughout 2021-22”, it noted.
There were an average of 5,597 inmates serving a sentence in prison every day last year – down slightly from 5,658 in 2020-21. There was a 12 per cent increase in prisoners jailed for common assault, and an 8 per cent increase in those serving a sentence for rape or attempted rape – with the average daily population for such offences increasing from 668 in 2020-21 to 721.
The report also detailed a 12 per cent rise in the number of people in prison after being convicted of threatening and abusive behaviour, increasing from 181 to 204 over this period.
Almost two-third soft he average daily sentenced population were behind bars for either violent or sexual crimes last year – up two percentage points from 2021-22. Meanwhile more prisonersspent longer stretch es on remand, according to the data.
According to the figures, 90 percent of untried an dun sentenced prisoners were released from rem and–either being liberated or going onto serve a sentence–after 63 days in jail.
However by 2020-21, 90 per cent of remand departures occurred within 109 days – with it rising again to 139 days in 2021-22.
The number of women in prison continued to fall, according to the figures, with the female population on an average day in 2021-22 down by 5 percent from the previous year to 282.
This was driven by a 7 per cent decrease in the number of women serving a jail sentence, while the female rem and population“remained stable ”.
The number of under-21s in custody also fell last year, down from 215 in 2020-21 to 188 last year. The reduction was mainly down to a 19 per cent drop in young offenders serving a custodial sentence, while the average number on remand each day “fell only slightly”.
Justice secretary keith brown said :“while overall prison population levels have risen just 1 per cent year on year, it is clear more needs to bed one to ensure use of custody is very much a last resort, especially when dealing with people not convicted of any offence.”