Scotland's prison population reaches record high despite 600 early releases in six months

Scotland’s prison population has hit a record high despite the emergency release of over 600 inmates within the last six months.

There were 8,587 inmates in custody as of Tuesday, more than 700 above the number Scottish prisons were designed to hold.

The rise comes despite more than 600 criminals being released early over the last six months and more than 1,400 since June 2024 in a bid to reduce overcrowding.

The Scottish Government passed a motion to further reduce the automatic release point for short-term prisoners earlier this year.

It will see some short-term prisoners, who have not been convicted of domestic abuse or sexual offences, released after serving 30% of their sentence, rather than 40%.

The changes to automatic early release will come into force this month, with the first group to be released from Tuesday, May 26.

Releases will continue until June 25, after which all eligible prisoners will be released as soon as they have served 30% of their sentence.

Two new prisons – one in Inverness and one in Glasgow – are also under construction and will add around 450 spaces to the prison estate.

A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said: “Scotland’s prison population is at a critical point, which is why we are taking action on both reducing the prison population and increasing capacity.

“In addition, work is already under way in response to the Sentencing and Penal Policy Commission’s recommendations, which highlight the importance of strengthening community-based alternatives to short custodial sentences – reflecting evidence that these can be more effective at reducing reoffending and supporting reintegration.

“The justice secretary has made clear addressing Scotland’s prison population in the medium to long term requires bold, collaborative action to ensure our prisons function effectively and communities remain safe.”

The Prison Officers’ Association warned that the population will remain high if the root causes of criminal activity are not addressed.

Phil Fairlie, assistant secretary of the Prison Officers’ Association, said: “These latest statistics show that Scotland’s prison population is at a record level. At the start of the early release programme the POA predicted this would happen.

“If we do not fundamentally address the root causes of criminal activity—issues such as poverty, substance misuse, relationship breakdown, homelessness and the impact of organised crime then prison spaces will be filled as soon as they are vacated and the prison population will never come down.

“Scotland’s overcrowded and understaffed prisons significantly impact the staff who deal with this high-pressure and often volatile situation. We urgently need more prison officers to help manage this crisis.

“In the longer term, the Scottish Government needs to adopt the recommendations of The POA’s ‘Crisis Point Reached’ report, which was published last year. It sets out a series of recommendations to help build a prison system fit for the 21st century.

“If they don’t, we will be back having this conversation every time prison population statistics are released.”