Prison reform call
13 May 05
Call to politicians to cap prison population
The Scottish Consortium on Crime and Criminal Justice is calling on the Executive to make sweeping changes to its prison policy.
A new report entitled "Reducing the Prison Population: Penal Policy and Social Choices", says that politicians should consider capping the prison population to reduce the high rate of imprisonment and reoffending.
It reveals that the use and length of prison sentences have increased in the past decade although crime overall has fallen.
The report suggests that introducing sentencing guidelines and changes in policy would achieve the reductions.