The SNP’s plans to automatically free certain prisoners after they have served just 30 per cent of their sentence have been branded a “dangerous shortcut” and “an abject admission of failure”.
Angela Constance today announced a consultation on reducing the automatic release point – from the current 40 per cent mark – for most prisoners serving sentences of four years and under.
The justice secretary admitted the move was necessary because her emergency early release programme had failed to alleviate the prison overcrowding problem.
Scottish Conservative shadow justice secretary Liam Kerr said: “Angela Constance’s statement is an admission of abject failure by the SNP.
“Reducing short-term sentences to just 30% is a dangerous shortcut that effectively renders sentences meaningless.
“This reckless plan is the direct result of the SNP’s failure to build sufficient prison capacity and the failure of their emergency early-release programme to alleviate that pressure. That’s led to the public being failed and the prison doors being flung open again.
“It’s an insult to victims that prisoners convicted of serious assault, drug offences, and other serious crimes will be out after serving less than a third of their sentence.
“This is yet another example of the SNP reaching for short-term political solutions instead of fixing decades of mismanagement.
“Angela Constance has misled parliament before and continues to fail as justice secretary.
“Prisoners should serve their sentences in full, staff deserve safe working conditions, and victims deserve justice.
“The SNP are putting criminals ahead of the law-abiding public, and Scotland deserves better.”