An MSP has urged the Scottish Government to take action on short prison sentences after it emerged 1,000 people were imprisoned on them last Christmas.
Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesman Liam McArthur has called on Holyrood to “relieve the pressure” on the prison service by enacting their presumption against sentences of less than a year.
The figures, released to the party by the Scottish Prison Service under Freedom of Information laws, showed 1,017 people were locked up on short sentences of the 7,792 people in Scottish jails.
Mr McArthur said: “Last year over 1,000 people were behind bars at Christmas because of a needless reliance on short-term sentences.
“This is despite all the evidence showing these stints are disruptive, ineffective and ultimately more damaging for the community.
“By contrast, robust community-based sentences have a much better track record of rehabilitation and reducing reoffending.”
In June, MSPs voted to extend the current presumption from three months to one year.
A spokeswoman for the government said the figures were from 2018 and added: “We are working closely with the SPS to manage the high prison population and extending the presumption is just one element of work to support a wider cultural shift that goes beyond simply increasing the proportion of sentences served in the community.”
