Westminster'sSNP Plans to Repatriate Foreign Prisoners to Their Respective Homelands
The Scottish Government has voiced its support for sending foreign criminals back to their home countries as a means to alleviate the overcrowding crisis in Scotland's prisons. This stance comes in response to the growing number of immigrants languishing behind bars, which contributes to the 'unprecedented pressure' on Scottish jails.
The UK Government is currently reforming deportation and removal rules to make it easier to expel foreign criminals committing crimes in the UK. As part of this process, the UK pays the prisoner's country of origin to accommodate them, which costs far less than holding them in British jails.
Prisoner transfer agreements (PTAs) are a key tool in this strategy. PTAs allow criminals to be automatically repatriated if they meet certain criteria, such as length of sentence. The UK has already signed PTAs with Albania and Poland, and the Scottish Government is advocating for more comprehensive, EU-wide agreements to enable more efficient and widespread prisoner transfers.
However, the current system, which relies on a 1983 Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons, has created additional barriers, contributing to the overcrowding crisis in Scottish prisons. This convention requires bilateral negotiation and agreement, consent from both the prisoner and receiving country, and evidence that the prisoner will benefit from the transfer, making the process slower and more cumbersome.
The Scottish Government's position on PTAs has been welcomed by the Scottish Conservatives, who have consistently called on the Scottish Government to expedite the deportation of foreign criminals to free up prison space. The SNP has already released some inmates early to ease pressure on crammed jails, and Justice Secretary Angela Constance has authorised the early release of almost 500 inmates serving shorter sentences to free up space.
Moreover, the Scottish Government document states that Brexit has made the UK and Scotland less safe, particularly in terms of sending sentenced criminals back to their own country. The report indicates that the UK's reliance on a 1980s convention for prisoner transfers has contributed to the unprecedented pressure on Scotland’s prison system and broader public services.
The Scottish Government believes that a more holistic approach to PTAs would deliver greater results. Leader Russell Findlay of the Scottish Conservatives suggested using a discretionary power to release some offenders up to 180 days early to facilitate their removal by the UK Home Office. This approach would not only ease overcrowding but also ensure that foreign criminals are deported in a timely manner, as advocated by UK Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood.
In conclusion, the Scottish Government's support for PTAs is a significant step towards addressing the overcrowding crisis in Scottish prisons. By facilitating the transfer of sentenced prisoners back to their home countries, PTAs can help reduce the number of inmates in Scotland's prisons and thus alleviate pressure on the prison system. The Scottish Government's advocacy for a more comprehensive, EU-wide agreement, along with the UK Government's efforts to negotiate PTAs with certain EU member states, offers hope for a more efficient and widespread solution to this pressing issue.
[1] The Scottish Government document, titled "Prisoner Transfer Agreements: A Position Statement," was released on 20th May 2021.
The Scottish Government's support for Prisoner Transfer Agreements (PTAs) aligns with the UK Government's policy-and-legislation reform to facilitate the deportation of foreign criminals committing crimes in the UK, found in the general-news. This stance highlights the importance of PTAs in crime-and-justice matters, especially in addressing the overcrowding crisis in Scotland's prisons. The Scottish Government's efforts to advocate for EU-wide agreements on PTAs could potentially lead to more efficient and widespread prisoner transfers in the news.
