Labour have uncovered figures showing that the SNP’s plans to cut the number of prisoners in custody would release more prisoners than are currently held in HMP Barlinnie.

New figures published in a report from the Scottish Prison Commission reveal that:

• 74 robbers
• 765 housebreakers
• 231 care thieves
• and 847 people found guilty of carrying a knife or offensive weapon
  

would be released onto the streets of Scotland if the SNP get their way.

The SNP government have welcomed thereport from the Scottish Prison Commission which plan to free any prisoner serving a sentence of less than six months.

A Labour spokesperson said: “These figures show that the SNP can’t be trusted to stand up for the East End. People need to feel safe on their own streets, and emptying the equivalent of the population of Barlinnie and
more, to walk the same streets where they committed their crimes, will rightly worry people.

“People in Glasgow East will read these figures and know that only Labour can be trusted to stand up for them on crime and that it’s the SNP who are a soft touch when it comes to dealing with criminals.”