Children booked into over 25,000 prison visits since 2016

Liam McArthur

Under-16s were booked into 8,945 visits in 2016, 8,578 visits in 2017, and 7,534 visits up to October 2018.

The figures were released to the Scottish Liberal Democrats following a Freedom of Information request.

Lib Dem justice spokesperson Liam McArthur said the data strengthened the case for a “family friendly prison service”, pointing out that more children experience a parent’s imprisonment each year than a parent’s divorce.

He continued: “Visits and other types of contact play an important role in reducing the likelihood of family breakdown, improving mental health and reducing the chance of the parent reoffending. It is essential that this isn’t overlooked as the SPS tries to cope with increasingly overcrowded prisons.

“The Scottish Government can also reduce the number of children who have to go through this in the first place. It needs to accelerate plans to end the use of senseless short-term sentences and replace them with robust community sentences which are proven to be more effective at reducing reoffending. It would make communities safer and prevent many children from having to go through a traumatic childhood experience.”