Tories suggest sending prisoners to foreign jails under ‘common-sense’ plans

The proposals – contained in the party’s manifesto, which is published today – would spell the end of the “reckless” early-release schemes introduced in response to prison overcrowding.

Leader Russell Findlay says his party would draw up legislation to allow Scotland to send criminals to prisons in other countries to serve the rest of their sentences, rather than freeing them early.

The proposals would be modelled on Sweden’s agreement with Estonia, which has allowed them to rent 600 prison places over a five-year period.

Mr Findlay says that the repeated use of early-release schemes has made a mockery of sentencing decisions and is the result of two decades of SNP failure to build the prison capacity Scotland needs.

Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Liam Kerr said dangerous prisoners should be serving their sentences in full, no matter where that may be, and that it’s time to end the SNP’s soft-touch approach to justice.

Mr Findlay said: “Our common-sense plans would put an end to the SNP’s reckless early-release schemes. Nationalist ministers have thrown open the prison gates and allowed thousands of inmates back into the community too soon, putting public safety at risk and making a mockery of judicial sentencing.

“Our legislation would let us send inmates to foreign jails to serve the remainder of their sentences in full, at the same time as we addressed the SNP’s abject failure to expand prison capacity in Scotland.

“On May 7th, you can stop an SNP majority and their relentless weakening of Scotland’s justice system by voting Scottish Conservative on your peach ballot paper.”

Mr Kerr added: “Dangerous prisoners should always serve their sentences in full, but the SNP have given them a get-out-of-jail free card in recent years.

“That is an insult to victims, whose needs always come last under the SNP. Our bold plans would protect public safety and properly punish criminals. It is time to end two decades of SNP soft-touch justice.”