SNP Government accused of 'recklessly' freeing prisoners as poll reveals public verdict

Only 8% strongly support freeing prisoners early according to the poll, which was carried out by Survation, with 1,012 people questioned on the issue last month.

There were also 20% who said they “somewhat” supported the policy, while 17% said they neither supported or opposed it and 5% did not know.

It comes after the Scottish Government brought forward legislation to bring forward the point at which most prisoners are released, in a bid to tackle overcrowding in the country’s jails.

MSPs passed legislation in November 2024 so that those sentenced to under four years in prison will now be released after serving 40% of their time behind bars.

Previously they had been freed after completing half of their sentence

A Scottish Government spokesperson said after a “significant rise” in the prison population a “number of actions” had been taken.

The spokesperson stressed: “Without intervention, there is a risk that prisons will no longer be safe places for the dedicated staff to carry out the important work of rehabilitation to reduce reoffending.”

The change in release date meant hundreds of prisoners were freed over three blocks over February and March.

As of March 21 – after the third phase of releases – there were 8,149 people in custody in Scotland.

While this was down from the total of 8,350 at the end of February, it was higher than the 7,977 inmates in March 2024.

Commenting on the poll, Scottish Conservative justice spokesperson Liam Kerr said: “It is clear the public are growing increasingly sick and tired of the SNP’s soft-touch justice approach.

“Many of them back the common-sense view that prisoners should serve their sentences in full rather than being recklessly let out early on the SNP’s watch.”

And Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Liam McArthur said: “It is no great surprise that the early release of prisoners is so unpopular with the public. The policy itself is the reflection of failure.

“For years, SNP ministers were warned that overcrowding was a disaster waiting to happen but didn’t do enough to address the problem.”

Mr McArthur added: “Early release can only ever be a temporary solution, which is why the Government needs to take the steps necessary to prevent the same happening further down the line.

“That means getting serious about clearing court backlogs so that fewer people are stuck in prison waiting on a trial and investing in tough community sentences which can provide a credible alternative to imprisonment.”

A Scottish Prison Service (SPS) spokesperson said: “We have been managing an extremely high and complex population for more than a year, which continues to place significant pressure on our staff and the time available to them to do the important work in supporting people, building relationships, turning lives around, reducing the risk of reoffending, and creating a safer Scotland for all.”

The SPS spokesperson added: “We have delivered a programme of early release in a way which prioritises the safety and wellbeing of those in our care, victims, and the communities we serve.

“This has provided welcome respite but, as has been widely acknowledged, will not solve our population challenges on its own.”

The Scottish Government spokesperson added: “The Prisoners (Early Release) (Scotland) Act has changed the automatic release point for most short-term prisoners from 50% to 40% of their sentence.

“The measures in this Act will bring about a sustained reduction in the prison population as well as relieve some of the acute pressure currently being experienced within our prison estate.

“We need the prison system to focus on those who pose the greatest risk to the public and provide a range of support to help reduce reoffending and aid integration back into the community.

“This legislation is backed by both the Prison Officers’ Association and the Prison Governors Association.”