Early release scheme 'not enough' to reduce prisoner numbers, say jail bosses

The latest early release of prisoners from Scotland's jails has seen the prison population reduce by just 68 so far.

A total of 286 inmates have been set free since November but this has been offset by more people being locked up.

All those freed under the early release programme are serving sentences of less than four years and within 180 days of their scheduled release.

The Scottish government said the scheme was necessary to maintain security inside Scotland's jails but the prison service has warned it is "not enough" to ease long-term pressures.

When the first tranche of prisoners were freed through the emergency early release on 11 November last year, the prison population stood at an all-time high of 8,441.

The Scottish government had estimated that 440 prisoners could be freed in three tranches up until the end of 2025.

Instead, new data shows 286 were freed.

As of 23 January, the prison population was 8,373.

This means the population has fallen by just 68 so far and still sits above the 7,805 design capacity of the prison estate.

The same overcrowding challenges are being faced in England and Wales, where more than 40,000 prisoners have been released early in a similar scheme.

Those jailed for sexual offences or domestic abuse are excluded from the early release scheme and prison governors can also veto individual cases.

Prisoners are being released in the coming days and another three batches of inmates are likely to be out of jail by April.

A Scottish Prison Service spokesperson said: "We have been managing an extremely high and complex population for more than two years, placing significant pressure on all those living and working in our establishments, and severely restricting the rehabilitative work we all want to see.

"Emergency early release is welcome and without it our numbers would be even higher, but everyone recognises it is not enough.

"We need to see a long-term reduction in our population, so we can fully support people in our care, reduce their risk of reoffending, and help build the safer communities we all want to see."

Two previous schemes, carried out in 2024 and the spring of 2025, saw almost 800 prisoners freed - but the prison population has remained high.

Two new prisons are being built - one in Inverness and one in Glasgow - and will add around 450 spaces to the prison estate.

Justice Secretary Angela Constance said the prison system was facing "serious challenges" with overcrowding but added the emergency early release scheme in place had "stringent safeguards to protect public safety".

She said: "It is right prison governors have the power to veto the emergency release of any prisoner, where they consider that the prisoner poses an immediate risk of harm to an identified person or group.

"Including January, there are still four further monthly early release tranches to take place.

"We have been clear from the outset that actual release figures depend on the number of eligible prisoners and how many are subsequently vetoed by governors at the time of each release point. The prison population and release numbers will continue to be closely monitored."