More than a quarter of prison population on remand

Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP has today called on the Scottish Government to urgently drive down the use of remand and invest in credible community orders after new figures reveal that more than a quarter of Scotland’s prisoners are being held on remand.

The Safer Communities and Justice Statistics show that as at 1st March 2025:

• The prison population increased to 8,350.
• Of that population, 2,210 were on remand (26%).
• Of the 2,210 prisoners on remand, 33.8% spent more than 140 days with that status.

A Scottish Liberal Democrat freedom of information request to the Scottish Prison Service recently revealed that the average cost per prisoner place in 2023/24 was £47,140 or £129.15 per day, up from £37,334 or £102.28 per day in 2016/17.

Mr McArthur said:

“Scotland’s prisons are bursting at the seams, but there are still far too many prisoners being held on remand.

“Remand includes prisoners being held without a trial and those awaiting sentence. It's extremely costly to keep someone in prison. It should only be used where it is absolutely necessary for public safety.

“If ministers are serious about tackling prison overcrowding, they must drive down the use of remand and invest in credible community orders in cases where that is appropriate.

“That’s how we can deliver a modern prison estate where staff have the time to rehabilitate prisoners, cutting reoffending and making communities safer.”