Commenting after the publication of the Custodial Sentences and Weapons (Scotland) Bill, Annabel Goldie MSP, Scottish Conservative leader, said:
"What we must not forget is that the Labour-led Scottish Executive has had seven years to end automatic early release and on no less than four occasions rejected Scottish Conservative amendments proposing exactly that. The last Conservative Government also left a repeal of this measure on the statute book in 1997, only for the incoming Labour administration to ignore it.
“We gave Jack McConnell and Cathy Jamieson chance after chance to do this, most recently in the stage 3 debate of the Management of Offenders (Scotland) Bill. All of our amendments were rejected, not just by Labour and the Liberal Democrats but by the SNP as well.
“I sincerely hope the Executive will not use community sentences, such as tagging, as a way to empty our prisons, and at the same time placing the public at risk. In April, during First Minister's Questions, Jack McConnell was unable to tell me how many other tagged inpiduals have gone on to commit offences whilst under a restriction of liberty order in the past year. Any who do create needless victims.
“If this is the beginning of the Executive ditching their rhetoric and actually getting tough then it is very welcome. However, recent history – such as the Management of Offenders (Scotland) Bill - shows us that Labour and the Liberal Democrats, ably assisted by the SNP, are more interested in letting people out of jail even earlier than they are in protecting the public, making punishments fit the crime and introducing honesty in sentencing.
“There is only one party continually looking to strengthen our criminal justice system and put the protection of the public and the rights of victims at the number one priorities.”
Notes to Editors
In August, the Scottish Conservatives announced a ‘three strikes policy’, whereby an offender, if given a third custodial sentence for any crime, would receive an automatic extra tariff proportionate to the three custodial sentences. This extra prison term will be served in full, and in jail.