Scotland's prison population has reached a record high of 8,430 inmates, surpassing the previous peak of 8,420 set in 2012. The milestone was hit on Tuesday after months of steadily rising numbers, despite repeated early release schemes designed to reduce overcrowding.
The population has remained consistently above 8,400 for the entire week. Scotland's prisons were designed to hold 7,805 inmates, meaning they are now accommodating more than 625 additional people - enough to fill another prison the size of HMP Grampian or HMP Shotts.
Safety concerns escalate
Teresa Medhurst, Scottish Prison Service chief executive, warned the overcrowding has reached a level that raises "very serious concerns" about keeping inmates safe. She said staff had been "managing an extremely complex and far too high population for almost two years" and praised their professionalism in difficult circumstances.
"The level of overcrowding in our establishments was already restricting our staff's ability to build relationships, support rehabilitation, reduce reoffending, and help to build safer communities across Scotland," Medhurst said. "Now it is reaching a level that raises very serious concerns around our ability to keep people safe and secure."
A Scottish government spokesman said "immediate action" was now necessary to ensure those who work and live in prisons are kept safe. The justice secretary has announced emergency proposals to tackle prison overcrowding with "stringent safeguards to protect public safety".
Early release schemes fail to provide relief
The crisis persists despite the early release of hundreds of inmates to free up space. More than 300 people, half serving sentences for violent crimes, were freed in February and March after prison bosses warned they could not take any more arrivals.
The Prisoners (Early Release) Scotland Act 2025 changed the release point for eligible short-term prisoners from 50% to 40% of their sentence. While this provided temporary relief, populations have continued to rise, with more than 120 people on custodial sentences now managed in the community through home detention curfews.
Glasgow Live reports that Barlinnie Prison is operating at 30% over capacity, with two-thirds of prisoners forced to share single cells in what officials describe as a "wretchedly poor state". The long-term prisoner population serving four years or more has risen to 4,012 - an increase of more than 600 in two years.
Political criticism intensifies
Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Liam Kerr MSP blamed SNP ministers for the crisis and called for increased prison capacity. "Their only 'solution' to overcrowding is the reckless early release of dangerous criminals, which has made our streets less safe and seen many of the same offenders washing straight back up in jail after reoffending," he said.
Scottish Labour's Pauline McNeill MSP described the situation as "intolerable for prison officers and staff". She said the SNP's "sticking plaster solutions have failed to deal with the dangerous levels of overcrowding" and accused the government of failing to plan for population changes.
Glasgow Live reports the new HMP Glasgow replacement facility has been delayed until 2028 at a cost approaching £1 billion, years behind the original schedule. The delays have left the ageing Barlinnie Prison operating far beyond its intended capacity with deteriorating conditions.
Sources used: "BBC", "Herald Scotland", "Glasgow Live"
Note: This article has been created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
