UPDATE: John Swinney will face critical questions at the First Minister’s Questions (FMQs) today as Scotland grapples with an escalating “emergency situation” within its prisons. The Scottish Prison Service has reported a staggering 8,430 prisoners currently in custody, marking an all-time high.
In response to this crisis, Justice Secretary Angela Constance has proposed the SNP Government’s third early prisoner release scheme, a plan that aims to alleviate the overcrowding by releasing inmates serving less than four years who are within 180 days of their release date from November 2023 to April 2026. This initiative, which received backing from the Criminal Justice Committee last week, must still be approved by the Holyrood chamber before implementation.
Opposition parties have strongly criticized the proposal. Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay slammed the government, stating they have “essentially ripped up” the sentences handed down to prisoners eligible for early release. He emphasized that the SNP has “failed to build the prison capacity the country needs,” raising concerns about public safety.
Additionally, Scottish Labour justice spokeswoman Pauline McNeill expressed her reservations, stating, “There are consequences, it isn’t a straightforward issue…if we do so this is the third time we’ve been here. My main concern is that I just do not want to endorse an approach of managing prisoners in this way.”
As the FMQs are set to begin at 12 PM today, Swinney may also face scrutiny regarding the SNP Government’s handling of the national health service. Last week’s revelations about NHS Lothian maternity services have sparked outrage after inspectors identified staffing shortages and a “culture of mistrust” that has led to patient harm at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. The review by Healthcare Improvement Scotland highlighted 26 areas where essential standards were not met, resulting in the government escalating NHS Lothian maternity services to level three of the NHS support and intervention framework.
With both critical issues on the agenda, today’s FMQs promise to be a pivotal moment for the Scottish Government as it confronts mounting pressures from opposition parties and the public alike. Stay tuned for live updates and analysis as this developing story unfolds.
