Conservative spokesman Liam Kerr and Justice Secretary Angela Constance.
by Democrat reporter
SNP justice secretary Angela Constance must confirm she will urgently publish details of a consultation ahead of her plans to release more criminals early from prison, the Scottish Conservatives have demanded.
Shadow justice secretary Liam Kerr submitted an urgent question in Holyrood this morning (Wednesday) calling on her to publish all relevant documents as soon as possible, especially as MSPs are expected to vote on the changes as soon as next week.
During her statement yesterday the justice secretary said she intended to carry out a “short” consultation on the issue ahead of laying legislation in parliament but failed to say what any consultation would look like.
The SNP’s “reckless” plans would see the automatic early release point for certain prisoners serving sentences of four years and under reduced to just 30%.
Liam Kerr says any consultation cannot be simply a “tick-box exercise” when the plans would have huge implications for public safety.
He added that it’s just common sense that prisoners should serve their sentences in full and that the justice secretary should not be allowed to evade further scrutiny on her latest “surrender to criminals”.
Scottish Conservative shadow justice secretary Liam Kerr MSP said: “The SNP’s reckless plans to release more prisoners early once again will have serious implications for public safety, yet the SNP’s justice secretary appears determined to railroad them through Holyrood.
“Any consultation must be published as soon as possible by the justice secretary and not merely be a tick-box exercise.
“That is why I have submitted an urgent question this morning to demand that she outlines what this consultation will look like and whether people will be able to have any proper say before MSPs are asked to vote on it, possibly as soon as next week.
“The justice secretary cannot escape further scrutiny on her latest surrender to criminals.
“It is just common sense that prisoners should serve their sentences in full.
“But the SNP’s abject failure over the last two decades has left our prisons in crisis and will see more dangerous offenders back in our communities in a matter of weeks, and Scots are rightly demanding answers on what this will mean.”
If prisoners are good, if they behave, granting conditional remission is a bad thing.
Sadly, like so much of our political floor show politics, it is just that. Yaboo, yaboo, yaboo.
There are more important things in play. Ensuring sufficient space for more serious convicts. Or the police to focus on real crime as opposed to spending their time recording unsubstantiated allegations of non criminal hate crime incidents.Or lifting elderly citizens as terrorists for holding small placards.
The politicos should focus on this but they don’t.