Huge drop in post-custody support risks more reoffending

Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP today (Saturday 15th November) said that the SNP government must go much further to cut reoffending after figures showed significantly fewer people on short-term sentences are receiving support after being released from custody.

Throughcare aims to prevent reoffending by supporting people who have been released from custody, helping them resettle into the community.

The Scottish Government’s Voluntary Throughcare Service provides throughcare for people serving short-term custodial sentences of less than four years.

New figures, however, show that the number of voluntary throughcare cases commenced dropped from 1,727 in 2023-24 to 1,409 in 2024-25.

There are now record numbers of people inside Scotland’s prisons. Speaking about the government’s early release scheme, designed to tackle prison overcrowding, Scottish Justice Secretary Angela Constance admitted it “will cause anxiety” for victims of crime.

Scotland’s prison population reached a record 8,441 on the day the scheme got underway.

Liam McArthur said:

“The number of people on short-term sentences receiving throughcare has plummeted on the SNP's watch.

“Without this provision, people will find it harder to reintegrate into the community, increasing the chances of reoffending and piling pressure on an already struggling prison system.

“The SNP have failed to do enough to cut reoffending and keep people out of custody, with prison overcrowding now a full-blown crisis.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats want to see a modern prison estate that strikes the correct balance between punishing, rehabilitating and reducing reoffending. To achieve that, the government need to get serious about supporting staff, giving the throughcare system the resources it needs and driving down the use of remand."