I am aware that in some of the evidence that you have received concerns have been raised about what you have described as cold release and its implications. However, it is worth taking a step back to consider certain issues. Although the intention of the bill is to end automatic early release, there is still provision for parole-conditioned release, and those who are released on conditions set down by the Parole Board for Scotland will have a level of supervision. That is the case at the moment, and that will remain the case when automatic early release ends. At present, you can apply for parole halfway into your sentence, but does it actually matter if you are refused it if you get automatic early release two thirds of the way in? When that element of the sentence ends, there will be no supervision in place.
Aside from individuals released under conditions set by the Parole Board, there are also a significant number of prisoners who receive extended sentences from the courts. Once individuals who are on that kind of determinate sentence have served that period, they are then subject to a period of supervision.
There is a final category of individuals who might not qualify for parole or any form of early release and who might simply be released at the end of their sentence. Given the evidence that the committee has heard, I am open to exploring with it whether any measures can be put in place to address the concerns that have been raised. For example, Sacro has suggested that, in the three months prior to those individuals’ release, they should have supervision to help them back into the community and to address any issues that they might have. I am open to considering such suggestions, and I would welcome the committee’s input and views on that particular approach.
However, it is worth keeping in mind that not all prisoners will be in that situation. Some will get parole release and some will have been on extended sentences that were imposed by the court, and both of those groups will receive supervision. For the smaller category of individuals that we are talking about, I am more than willing to explore any further measures that we can take to improve the bill.