McArthur comments ahead of Prisoners (Early Release) bill 

Speaking ahead of the Scottish Parliament debating the Prisoners (Early Release) bill on Tuesday, Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP said:

"For years, the Government was warned that overcrowding in the prison system was a disaster waiting to happen and failed to act. The measures we are being asked to consider in the bill are a short-term fix. They buy time, but, as we saw with the earlier release programme they buy a lot less time than they once might have done.

"Early release is a complex policy that deserves thorough parliamentary scrutiny, not least to ensure effective safeguards to protect victims and communities and to minimise reoffending. The timetable that the government has asked MSPs to work to has not helped this goal and will do nothing to build public confidence.

"In particular, I have grave concerns with section 3 of this bill which would give Scottish ministers far-reaching powers to release any prisoner at any time with limited parliamentary scrutiny. This is a step too far, comes with significant risks and is not something Scottish Liberal Democrats can support."