By Chris McCall

Copyright dailyrecord

Victims of crime have demanded the SNP Government builds more jails to ease an overcrowding crisis instead of repeatedly releasing prisoners early . Angela Constance , the Justice Secretary, announced yesterday that hundreds more inmates will allowed home after serving less than half of their sentences. She insisted the move was necessary as 10 nicks across the country are currently at “red risk” – meaning they are already dangerously overcrowded . But Victim Support Scotland has now called on SNP ministers to find other solutions to the crisis in the country’s jails than repeatedly relying upon early release. Kate Wallace, the charity’s chief executive, said: “Given that more people are being convicted for crimes that require longer sentences, including rises in serious sexual offences, we think that more capacity in prisons has to be part of the solution. The long-awaited replacement for HMP Barlinnie is currently under construction in Glasgow but no completion date has been given for the £1 billion project. The new super jail add just 357 extra spaces to the prison estate – far fewer than the 440 prisoners who will be released early by Constance in the coming weeks to ease overcrowding. A further 400 could be released early next year. It comes after a previous early release programme saw 390 prisoners let out in February and March. Kate Wallace, Victim Support Scotland chief executive, said: “Our main priority is making sure that victims know whether they will be impacted by these releases or not. “If someone is not signed up to the Victim Notification Scheme (VNS), there will be no proactive contact to warn them of a prisoner’s early release. “We would urge anyone worried about a prisoner, in their case, being released early to get in touch with our helpline on 0800 160 1985, or visit our website, victimsupport.scot. “You can give us consent to act your behalf and ask the Scottish Prison Service VNS team for the release date of the prisoner. If you are eligible to receive the information, we can provide that to you while providing any support you need as a result of this information.” Wallace added: “It is urgent that the Scottish Government engage with VSS, and other key voluntary organisations working in this field, to determine viable longer-term solutions. “The rights and safety of victims and public safety must take precedence in these deliberations.” In a statement to MSPs, Constance said: “This is not an action I propose lightly. I am grateful to prison staff working tirelessly in difficult circumstances and want to ensure they and those who live in prisons are kept safe, so immediate action is now necessary. “There will be strict safeguards in place to protect public safety, which is my paramount concern. The release will only apply to those serving short sentences under four years and due to be released within the next six months and will exclude those serving sentences for sexual offences or domestic abuse. There will also be a governor veto where they consider that a prisoner poses an immediate risk of harm to specific individuals or groups. “I absolutely recognise that the early release of prisoners can be a cause for concern for victims. We will engage with victim support organisations to ensure that information on the change in release date is available to them.” To sign up to the Daily Record Politics newsletter, click here