The
Scottish Prison Service (SPS) confirmed that as of Tuesday, 8,430 people were
in custody — surpassing the previous record of 8,420 set in 2012.
By AveryMorgan, Edinburgh — October 26, 2025 :16:30 GTM
EDINBURGH,
Scotland — Scotland’s prison population has climbed to its highest level on
record, sparking urgent warnings from officials and renewed political debate
over how to handle the country’s overcrowded jails.
Record
Numbers Despite Early Releases
The SPS
said the population has been rising steadily for months and now exceeds
official design capacity by more than 600 inmates. Scotland’s prisons were
designed to hold 7,805 people, meaning they are operating well above safe
limits.
The surge
comes despite recent early-release measures, which saw over 300 prisoners —
half serving sentences for violent crimes — freed between February and March in
a bid to ease pressure on facilities.
“Very
Serious Concerns” for Safety
SPS chief
executive Teresa Medhurst said the situation has reached a critical stage.
“We have
now reached a new record high — an unfortunate landmark which none of us wanted
to see,” she said.
“The
level of overcrowding is restricting our staff’s ability to build
relationships, support rehabilitation, reduce reoffending, and help to build
safer communities. It raises very serious concerns around our ability to keep
people safe and secure.”
Medhurst
praised prison staff for managing what she described as “an extremely complex
and far too high population” for nearly two years.
Government
Promises “Immediate Action”
A
Scottish government spokesman acknowledged the severity of the problem,
confirming that emergency proposals are being developed to tackle overcrowding
while maintaining public safety.
“Our
paramount concern is to ensure that those who work and live in prisons are kept
safe,” the spokesman said. “Immediate action is now necessary.”
Justice
Secretary Angela Constance is expected to outline further measures in Holyrood
later this week.
Long-Term
Sentences Driving the Increase
According
to SPS data, the rise has been fueled largely by the growth in long-term
sentences of four years or more, which now account for 4,012 inmates — up more
than 600 since 2023.
By
contrast, the short-term prison population has declined slightly, reflecting
the effects of the Prisoners (Early Release) Scotland Act 2025, which reduced
the release threshold for eligible inmates from 50% to 40% of their sentence.
Home Detention
and Community Measures
In
addition to those in custody, more than 120 offenders are being managed under
home detention curfews, according to the SPS.
However,
experts say such measures have done little to offset the overall trend, with
daily totals consistently exceeding 8,400 inmates throughout October.
Political
Backlash Over “Crisis Mismanagement”
Opposition
lawmakers have accused the Scottish National Party (SNP) government of
mishandling the crisis.
Liam Kerr
MSP, the Scottish Conservative justice spokesman, called the government’s
early-release policy “reckless” and urged an expansion in prison capacity.
“Their
only solution to overcrowding is the reckless early release of dangerous
criminals,” Kerr said. “It’s made our streets less safe and seen many of the
same offenders washing back up in jail after reoffending.”
Labour
Labels Situation “Intolerable”
Pauline
McNeill MSP, Scottish Labour’s justice spokesperson, described the record
figures as “intolerable” for both inmates and staff.
“These
unprecedented figures show the SNP’s sticking-plaster solutions have failed to
deal with dangerous overcrowding,” she said.
“The
crisis in our prisons has been years in the making, and the SNP has failed to
get to grips with its root causes.”
Capacity
Strain Across the System
The SPS
says Scotland’s current excess population is equivalent to an additional full
prison, comparable in size to HMP Grampian or HMP Shotts.
Officials
warn that chronic overcrowding has made it harder to deliver education,
training, and mental health services — all vital to reducing reoffending rates.
Broader
Context and Future Risks
Experts
have long cautioned that rising sentence lengths and court backlogs following
the pandemic would push the system toward breaking point.
Criminal
justice analysts say reforms aimed at reducing short-term custody — including
community-based sentences — have failed to counterbalance longer average
sentences for serious offenses.
Call for
Sustainable Reform
Penal
reform groups have renewed calls for structural change, urging the government
to invest in rehabilitation and alternative sentencing.
“We’re
seeing the same cycle repeat: overcrowding, early release, public backlash, and
then no long-term reform,” said Dr. Fiona Caldwell, a criminologist at the
University of Glasgow.
“Without
investment in community programs and prison capacity, the system will remain in
perpetual crisis.”
By AveryMorgan, CRN Times Newsroom
Date: 26
October 2025 – 18:20 GMT