NO MORE FREE BED and BOARD FOR SHORT TERM OFFENDERS.

NO MORE FREE BED & BOARD FOR SHORT TERM OFFENDERS

RICHARD BAKER'S CREDIBILITY IN TATTERS

SNP MSP Angela Constance - a member of the Scottish Parliament's Justice Committee – has welcomed today's announcement by the Justice Secretary of the introduction of tough community sentences as an effective means to punish short term offenders whilst also tackling the problem of prison overpopulation.

Ms Constance also pointed out that with the support of both former Labour First Minister Henry McLeish and Harry McGuigan - a senior Labour councillor on COSLA – the introduction of these tough community sentences undermines the scaremongering by Labour's Justice spokesperson in the Scottish Parliament.

Commenting Ms Constance said:

"Tough community sentences are needed to punish short term offenders who have enjoyed free bed and board at the tax payers expense for too long.

"It is about time offenders put something back into the communities they have taken from.

"This announcement is also an embarrassment for Labour's Justice spokesperson in the Scottish Parliament - Richard Baker. With Henry McLeish and Harry McGuigan backing these moves his ill informed scaremongering on the issue of punishment for short term offenders is totally shot to pieces.

"Henry McLeish and Harry McGuigan have knowledge of these issues. Richard Baker obviously doesn't.

"With figures showing Scotland topping the western European table for sending people to prison it is about time we saw real reform of the prison system to ensure those who need to be in jail are locked up and those who can and should repay their debt to the community do just that."