Home for Christmas: Castle Huntly to release 108 criminals
ByThe Courier Reporter
ALMOST HALF of inmates at a prison near Dundee are going home for Christmas.
Castle Huntly is to release 108 criminals into the community over the festive period.
The Longforgan jail houses 230 men who are nearing the end of sentences of 18 months or more.
Offenders who are granted leave are given a “full risk assessment” before release, according to the Scottish Prison Service.
Conservative MSP Liz Smith has described the decision to offer almost half the prison population home leave over Christmas as “extremely hurtful”, but a prison service spokesman moved to reassure politicians that checks are in place.
He said: “A full risk assessment is carried out before release. They’re released on licence and there are strict conditions that they have got to adhere to.”
