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The Scottish prison population rose rapidly in 2024.

The Scottish Government passed an Emergency Bill in November 2024 in response to this, which means eligible short-term prisoners are released at the 40% point of their sentence instead of the 50% point.

Those immediately impacted were released in tranches, taking place in February and March 2025.

Thereafter, all eligible short-term prisoners are released at the 40% point of their sentence.

Data analysis