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The Scottish Parliament passed the Prisoners (Early Release) (Scotland) Bill on Tuesday to reduce short-term prisoners’ time served from 50 percent to 40 percent of their sentence.
The legislation, introduced on November 18, aims to alleviate pressure on the prison system, with changes expected to take effect in February 2025.
The bill applies to prisoners serving sentences of less than 4 years, with exceptions for those convicted of domestic abuse or sexual offenses.
According to the government, the change could result in the release of up to 390 prisoners in the initial rollout.
In the beginning stages, the releases would be managed in three phases over six weeks to ensure a smooth transition.
Scotland’s prison population exceeded 8,300 inmates this year, one of the highest levels recorded.
Despite a 40 percent drop in recorded crime since 2007, the average sentence length has risen by 32 percent over the past decade.
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