Scottish National Party (SNP) ministers have revived a controversial plan to automatically release long-term prisoners after serving two-thirds of their sentence, despite direct warnings about the serious safety risks to victims.
The proposal, previously considered and shelved, was brought back by new Justice Secretary Neil Gray as part of measures to reduce Scotland's prison population. This move has drawn criticism, with opponents claiming it shows contempt for crime victims.
During a 2024 consultation on the prisoner release proposal, organizations raised significant concerns. Scottish Women's Aid described the plan as a "regressive step in the commitment towards victim support" and warned of a potential "risk to women, children and young people." Children First suggested that blanket changes could erode public trust in the justice system and called for a "Governor Veto" to prevent the release of high-risk individuals. Social Work Scotland also cautioned about an "'higher level of risk" associated with prisoners not deemed suitable for parole halfway through their sentences and highlighted potential resource limitations.
Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Stephen Kerr stated that the SNP's decision demonstrates "utter contempt for vulnerable crime victims" by ignoring consultation warnings. He argued that public safety is being jeopardized, attributing the overcrowding issue to the government's failure to build new prisons.
The Scottish Government's analysis of the 2024 consultation, which received 161 responses, acknowledged that while some respondents supported increasing community time for long-term prisoners, many expressed concerns about the "general risk profile of this cohort" and the capacity of existing services to manage that risk safely.
Dr. Marsha Scott, chief executive of Scottish Women's Aid, reiterated concerns regarding the current proposal to automatically release individuals serving sentences of over five years at the two-thirds mark. She emphasized the ongoing risk posed by domestic abuse perpetrators even after conviction and stressed the necessity of "robust, victim-centred safeguards," including effective risk assessment, timely information sharing, child protection measures, and safety planning with survivors.