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Prison numbers reach record high Women prisoner numbers 'shameful'
(about 1 hour later)
The number of prisoners in Scotland's jails has reached a record high, according to new figures. Scotland's rising female prison population has been branded "shameful" by Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill.
His comments came after figures revealed Scotland's prison population had hit a record high.
The Scottish Prison service (SPS) said there were now 7,609 people behind bars, including 393 women.The Scottish Prison service (SPS) said there were now 7,609 people behind bars, including 393 women.
Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said the number of inmates was currently about 1,000 beyond design capacity. Mr MacAskill is to meet staff and inmates at Scotland's female prison, HMP Cornton Vale, to see how the jail is coping with overcrowding issues.
He is set to meet staff and inmates at Scotland's only female prison, HMP Cornton Vale, to see how the jail is coping with overcrowding issues. Speaking ahead of his visit, Mr MacAskill hit out at the 90% rise in the women's prison population between 1997 and 2007.
Speaking ahead of the visit, he said the number of women in custody in Scotland had increased by 90% in the past decade. He told on BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: "It's quite shameful in Scotland. It goes across both genders but clearly it's exacerbated amongst the female population."
The minister will be joined at the prison by members of the Scottish Parliament's justice committee. We cannot go on as we are because our prisons are going to burst Kenny MacAskillJustice Secretary
We also have a problem that we lock up far more people than most other countries in the world Kenny MacAskill The number of women in custody is currently 11% above the average population of 353 for 2006/07.
He said: "The mandatory use of Supervised Attendance Orders for fine defaulters is designed to remove up to 3,000 receptions per year of fine defaulters to our prisons, including those who might otherwise have been sent to Cornton Vale. The justice secretary admitted that too many offenders were being sent to Scotland's jails, which are "bursting at the seams."
"Our chief inspector of prisons regularly talks of the catalogue of problems caused by overcrowding. He added: "We are loading up our prisons, whether it's Cornton Vale or Barlinnie, with not just bad people who need to be in prison, but sad people who need to be treated and helped.
"It's obvious that we need some fresh thinking in this area which is why I have set up an independent Prisons Commission to look widely at the purpose of prison in a modern Scotland." "We've inherited record figures and they're continuing to rise and that's why it's my obligation as the cabinet secretary for justice to try and draw a line in the sand.
'Dangerous offenders' "We cannot go on as we are because our prisons are going to burst."
According to the SPS, Scotland's prison population reached a record high of 7,609 on Friday, 8 February. SPS figures showed that on Friday there were a record 7,609 people in Scotland's jails.
A further 327 people were also on home detention curfew that day. 'Petty crimes'
The numbers contrast with 7,166 people in custody on 28 December last year.
Since 1991, Scotland has seen its average daily prison population increase by 51.6%.Since 1991, Scotland has seen its average daily prison population increase by 51.6%.
Mr MacAskill said it was "perverse" that less people were offending and more were going to jail. Mr MacAskill said Scotland was in a "perverse situation" where offending had gone down, but the prison population had reached record levels.
He added: "We also have a problem that we lock up far more people than most other countries in the world. He said there was a huge problem with "churn" - where people were regularly receiving short sentences for petty crimes.
"So we have to have a coherent penal policy that protects us from the serious and dangerous offenders and allows those who, in many instances, are deeply troubled to be treated in our communities.'' Mr MacAskill said there were about 14,000 cases of sentences under six months every year.
In many cases the "fundamental problem" such as alcohol, mental health issues or drugs was what needed to be addressed, he added.