Tagging for 2,000 prisoners a year
Executive reveals extent of controversial plans to release prisoners early
Two thousand prisoners a year will be released early and tagged to ensure they observe night curfews, the Executive has estimated, according totoday's Scotsman.
The figure was released after Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson defended the Executive's plans to cut reoffending, contained in the Management of Offenders (Scotland) Bill, before a Scottish Parliament committee.
The plans involve low risk prisoners serving the final parts of their sentence in the community, in a bid to slow the rising of the prison population. They will have to return to their homes at night or face a return to jail. Officials estimate that about 7,500 will be assessed for suitability each year with 2,000 being released early, by an average of 55 days.
Opposition politicians branded the move a "panic reaction" but Ms Jamieson insisted it was not a soft option, saying it allowed people to begin to take responsibility for themselves and prove they could be trusted in the community.
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