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Legal Matters
Scotland
McLeish urges Britain to rethink its reliance on prison

Writing in The Scotsman, former Scottish first minister Henry McLeish argues that Britain relies too heavily on imprisonment and needs a broader approach to criminal justice. He notes that incarceration rates in England, Wales and Scotland are more than twice the Western European median, while short sentences often do little to prevent reoffending. McLeish calls for fewer people to be jailed, with longer sentences reserved for serious offenders, alongside greater investment in rehabilitation, probation and reliable electronic monitoring. He also questions the imprisonment of many women and remand prisoners, noting that incarceration can cost up to £55,000 per inmate annually. While acknowledging victims' concerns over early release, he argues that policy should be guided by evidence rather than public anger, political caution or media pressure.

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