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Dadparvar
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The Scottish Parliament passed the Prisoners (Early Release) (Scotland) Bill on Tuesday to reduce short-term prisoners’ time served from 50 percent to 40 percent of their sentence. The legislation, introduced on November 18, 2024, aims to alleviate pressure on the prison system, with changes expected to take effect in February 2025.
The bill applies to prisoners serving sentences of less than four years, with exceptions for those convicted of domestic abuse or sexual offenses. According to the government, the change could result in the release of up to 390 prisoners in the initial rollout. In the beginning stages, the releases would be managed in three phases over six weeks to ensure a smooth transition.
Justice Secretary Angela Constance highlighted the urgency of addressing the overcrowding crisis, describing it as a threat to the safety of both staff and prisoners. She stated:
The legislation is part of a broader strategy to manage prison numbers. Earlier this year, emergency measures released 477 prisoners with fewer than 180 days left to serve, but those steps provided only temporary relief. Alongside early release policies, the government has increased funding for community-based alternatives to custody.
Scotland is not alone in confronting the challenges of rising prison populations. Similar measures are being introduced across the UK, where the new Labour government announced a plan earlier this year to reduce prison overcrowding by temporarily releasing certain prisoners under community supervision. International bodies like the United Nations have also urged governments to adopt more community-based sentences to address the issue sustainably.
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The bill applies to prisoners serving sentences of less than four years, with exceptions for those convicted of domestic abuse or sexual offenses. According to the government, the change could result in the release of up to 390 prisoners in the initial rollout. In the beginning stages, the releases would be managed in three phases over six weeks to ensure a smooth transition.
Justice Secretary Angela Constance highlighted the urgency of addressing the overcrowding crisis, describing it as a threat to the safety of both staff and prisoners. She stated:
Scotland’s prison population exceeded 8,300 inmates this year, one of the highest levels recorded. Despite a 40 percent drop in recorded crime since 2007, the average sentence length has risen by 32 percent over the past decade.
The legislation is part of a broader strategy to manage prison numbers. Earlier this year, emergency measures released 477 prisoners with fewer than 180 days left to serve, but those steps provided only temporary relief. Alongside early release policies, the government has increased funding for community-based alternatives to custody.
Scotland is not alone in confronting the challenges of rising prison populations. Similar measures are being introduced across the UK, where the new Labour government announced a plan earlier this year to reduce prison overcrowding by temporarily releasing certain prisoners under community supervision. International bodies like the United Nations have also urged governments to adopt more community-based sentences to address the issue sustainably.
The post Scotland parliament passes bill to reduce prison sentences appeared first on JURIST - News.
Continue reading...
Note: We don't have any responsibilities about this news. Its been posted here by Feed Reader and we had no controls and checking on it. And because News posted here will be deleted automatically after 21 days, threads are closed so that no one spend time to post and discuss here. You can always check the source and discuss in their site.