Exact date hundreds of dangerous prisoners to be released early from Scottish prisons

NATS ministers yesterday admitted they would have to release early 550 prisoners due to the straining capacity of the prison service – despite fewer lags being behind bars.

SNP justice secretary Angela Constance snuck out the increase – up from an earlier estimate of between 300 and 500 – while MSPs debated disgraced ex-minister Michael Matheson’s future.

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But the figures could increase again as ministers are yet to finish “modelling” the number who must be let out early.

The exact dates for the emergency release have been revealed as lags with less than 45 days left will be freed on 26- 27 June.

Elsewhere prisoners with 45-89 days left on their sentence will be released on 3-4 July and those with 90-134 days left will be let go on 10-11.

And on 17 July-18 July cons with 135-180 days left to serve will be granted freedom.

Ms Constance defended the move as “necessary to ensure the safety and wellbeing” of staff and prisoners, but rivals blasted it as “shameful”.

And the number of people behind bars is down to 8,313 people, down by 35 when the Nats minister announced the plans two weeks ago.

At the time, she warned there had been an unprecedented increase of around 400 inmates since March 18, leaving the prison estate at “critical risk”.

SNP ministers will give MSPs a vote within the next two weeks on the plans which charities warned could create a “raft” of new victims.

And government sources have previously said the plans will not go ahead if MSPs do not back them.

It could see prisoners released from June 13 – when the law will come into effect.

Scots Tory justice spokesperson Russell Findlay – whose party has confirmed it will not back the emergency release – said it was “shabby” for ministers to “sneak this out”.

He added: “The public deserves to know the full extent of how many criminals are going to be set free, when this will happen and what measures are being taken to protect the public.”

And Scottish Labour’s justice spokesperson Pauline McNeill blamed “17 years of SNP mismanagement” for the decision.

She said: “This shameful move is a direct result of the SNP’s failure to modernise the prison estate and tackle the courts backlog.”

Scottish Lib Dem justice spokesperson Liam McArthur added: “This announcement will cause widespread public anxiety.”

Ms Constance said the move followed an unforeseen increase of 400 prisoners in the prison estate since March.

The justice secretary said: ”Protecting the public remains my number one priority, which is why there are significant and robust safeguards in place.

“I recognise concerns victims may have, which is why named victim support organisations will be given information about the release date of a prisoner under the emergency release process, where requested by the victim they are supporting to enable a more trauma-informed approach.”