Howard League calls for less remand as big jump reported
Untried prisoners on remand now account for almost a quarter of the prison population Scotland, according to a new report by Howard League, which is calling for drastic reductions in the use of remand.
From a proportion of 16.1% in February 2020, shortly before the pandemic, falling to 13.4% in April 2020, remand prisoners now account (as at 30 April 2021) for 23.9% of the total prison population, or 1,753 prisoners.
The rate is even higher for young people, standing at 42.6% of those in custody aged 16-20, and 83.3% for those aged 16-17.
The average duration of time spent on remand has also increased substantially, with stays of more than 120 days accounting for 6% of people on remand in 2009-10, rising to more than 17% in 2019-20. Delays in trials due to the pandemic may mean that time spent on remand has increased even further, though data from March 2021 show that a significant proportion of the remand population were accused of non-violent offences. Howard League states that many of these accuses could have awaited trial in non-custodial settings such as community-based bail accommodation.
"Crucially," it adds, "57% of people held on remand do not go on to be given a prison sentence. They are either found not guilty or receive a community sentence, underlining that remand is grossly overused in Scotland.
"Whilst the stigma of imprisonment doesn’t differentiate between those convicted or on remand, the experience of prison for those remanded can be significantly poorer, with more time spent in cells and fewer opportunities for work or education. During lockdown, this is most certainly the equivalent of solitary confinement as defined as torture by the United Nations.
"The uncertainty associated with being held on remand also has serious effects in terms of employment and housing. It can have huge financial repercussions, whereby those released from remand receive no financial support or compensation and may have to restart benefit claims with no access to funds in the interim period."