Scottish Prison Population Statistics, 2020-21

The latest longitudinal statistics on prison populations and flows into and out of prison. Includes information about the demographics of people in prison, the time they spend there, their sentences and offences.


Footnotes

1 Technical Manual: Index Offence group, https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-prison-population-statistics/pages/analytical-factors-and-measurements/#Index%20offence%20group

2 Supplementary Tables, https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-prison-population-statistics- 2020-21/documents/

3 Scottish Prison Population Statistics Technical Manual, https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-prison-population-statistics/

4 Technical Manual: Cellwise Data Construction, https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-prison-population-statistics/pages/cellwise-data-construction/

5 Technical Manual: Average daily population, https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-prison-population-statistics/pages/analytical-factors-and-measurements/#Average%20daily%20population

6 Coronavirus (COVID-19): Justice Analytical Services data report, https://www.gov.scot/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-justice-analytical-services-data-report/

7 Sheriff Courts - remand and bail outcomes: occasional paper, https://www.gov.scot/publications/occasional-paper-remand-bail-outcomes-first-bail-decision-points-sheriff-courts/

8 Coronavirus (COVID-19): Justice Analytical Services data report, https://www.gov.scot/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-justice-analytical-services-data-report/, and Sheriff Courts - remand and bail outcomes: occasional paper, https://www.gov.scot/publications/occasional-paper-remand-bail-outcomes-first-bail-decision-points-sheriff-courts/

9 SPS COVID-19 Information Hub, https://www.sps.gov.uk/Corporate/Information/covid19/covid-19-information-hub.aspx

10 Technical Manual: Legal status, https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-prison-population-statistics/pages/analytical-factors-and-measurements/#Legal%20status

11 Scottish Government, Prison statistics Scotland 2010-11 https://www.gov.scot/publications/statistical-bulletin-crime-justice-series-prison-statistics-scotland-2010-11/pages/5/

12 Technical Manual: Index offence derivation, https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-prison-population-statistics/pages/cellwise-data-construction/#Index%20Offence%20Derivation

13 Technical Manual: Index offence groups, https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-prison-population-statistics/pages/analytical-factors-and-measurements/#Index%20offence%20group

14 Scottish Prison Population Statistics: Legal Status, 2019-20, https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-prison-population-statistics-legal-status-2019-20/pages/6/

15 Technical Manual: Index offence, https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-prison-population-statistics/pages/analytical-factors-and-measurements/#Index%20offence

16 Scottish Prison Population Statistics: Legal Status, 2019-20. Section 3.1.2 https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-prison-population-statistics-legal-status-2019-20/pages/6/

17 Technical Manual: Index sentence, https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-prison-population-statistics/pages/analytical-factors-and-measurements/#Index%20sentence

18 Scottish Prison Population Statistics: Legal Status, 2019-20, Section 3.2 https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-prison-population-statistics-legal-status-2019-20/pages/6/

19 Technical Manual: Legal Status, https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-prison-population-statistics/pages/analytical-factors-and-measurements/#Legal%20status

20 Technical Manual: Index Offence group, https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-prison-population-statistics/pages/analytical-factors-and-measurements/#Index%20offence%20group

21 Technical Manual: Index offence, https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-prison-population-statistics/pages/analytical-factors-and-measurements/#Index%20offence

22 Technical Manual: Individuals, https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-prison-population-statistics/pages/analytical-factors-and-measurements/#Individuals

23 Technical Manual: Average daily population, https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-prison-population-statistics/pages/analytical-factors-and-measurements/#Average%20daily%20population

24 Technical Manual: Legal Status, https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-prison-population-statistics/pages/analytical-factors-and-measurements/#Legal%20status

25 Scottish Prison Population Statistics: Legal Status 2019-20, Section 2.1.2 https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-prison-population-statistics-legal-status-2019-20/pages/5/

26 Scottish prison population: statistics 2019 to 2020, Section 2.1 https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-prison-population-statistics-2019-20/pages/4/

27 Technical Manual: Ethnicity, https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-prison-population-statistics/pages/analytical-factors-and-measurements/#Ethnicity

28 More information about the derivation of these rates is provided in the Technical Manual: Comparator population rates, https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-prison-population-statistics/pages/analytical-factors-and-measurements/#Comparator%20population%20rates

29 Technical Manual: Arrival, https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-prison-population-statistics/pages/analytical-factors-and-measurements/#Arrival

30 Technical Manual: Legal Status, https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-prison-population-statistics/pages/analytical-factors-and-measurements/#Legal%20status

31 More information about the derivation of these rates is provided in the Technical Manual: Comparator population rates, https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-prison-population-statistics/pages/analytical-factors-and-measurements/#Comparator%20population%20rates

32 Scottish prison population: statistics 2019 to 2020, Section 3.3, https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-prison-population-statistics-2019-20/pages/5/

33 Technical Manual: No fixed abode, https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-prison-population-statistics/pages/analytical-factors-and-measurements/#Of%20no%20fixed%20abode

34 Technical Manual: Index offence group, https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-prison-population-statistics/pages/analytical-factors-and-measurements/#Index%20offence%20group

35 For more information see the Technical Manual: Legal Status Hierarchy, https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-prison-population-statistics/pages/cellwise-data-construction/#Legal%20status%20heirarchy

Section 7.1 provides detail of the reverse transitions in 2020-21.

36 Technical Manual: Departure, https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-prison-population-statistics/pages/analytical-factors-and-measurements/#Departure

37 A small number of departures have missing values for legal status at time of departure. The sum of labelled departures (e.g. remand plus sentenced) will therefore be different to the sum of all departures above (10,431 rather than 10,493)

38 Technical Manual: Status transitions, https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-prison-population-statistics/pages/analytical-factors-and-measurements/#Status%20transition

39 Technical Manual: Journey type, https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-prison-population-statistics/pages/analytical-factors-and-measurements/#Journey%20type

40 Technical Manual: Time to departure, https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-prison-population-statistics/pages/analytical-factors-and-measurements/#Time%20to%20Departure

41 Technical Manual: Time on remand, https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-prison-population-statistics/pages/analytical-factors-and-measurements/#Time%20on%20remand

42 Scottish Prison Population Statistics: Legal Status, 2019-20, Section 4.3 https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-prison-population-statistics-legal-status-2019-20/pages/7/

43 Technical Manual: Liberation type, https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-prison-population-statistics/pages/analytical-factors-and-measurements/#Liberation%C2%A0type

44 The Release of Prisoners (Coronavirus) (Scotland) Regulations 2020, https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2020/138/contents/made

45 Historic publications are still available on the Scottish Government website: https://www.gov.scot/collections/scottish-prison-population-statistics/

46 Monthly reports from June 2020 to March 2022: https://www.gov.scot/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-justice-analytical-services-data-report/

47 Annual aggregates and weekly snapshot information: https://www.sps.gov.uk/Corporate/Information/SPSPopulation.aspx

48 Technical Manual: Legal Status Hierarchy, https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-prison-population-statistics/pages/cellwise-data-construction/#Legal%20status%20heirarchy

49 Technical Manual: Index Sentence derivation, https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-prison-population-statistics/pages/cellwise-data-construction/#index-sentence-derivation

50 Ibid.

51 Scottish prison population: statistics 2019 to 2020, Section 5.1 https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-prison-population-statistics-2019-20/

52 Criminal proceedings in Scotland: 2018-2019, https://www.gov.scot/publications/criminal-proceedings-scotland-2018-19/

53 Defined as those serving a sentence of less than 4 years. More information on HDC is available on the SPS website: https://www.sps.gov.uk/Corporate/Information/HomeDetentionCurfew.aspx

54 Audit Scotland (2019) https://www.audit-scotland.gov.uk/uploads/docs/report/2019/s22_190912_sps.pdf

55 See Conlong (2019), available in addendum here: https://www.parliament.scot/S5_Public_Audit/General%20Documents/SG_SPS_20191216.pdf

56 See also Recorded Crime in Scotland 2018-19 for further context: https://www.gov.scot/publications/recorded-crime-scotland-2018-19/

57 Coronavirus (COVID-19): Justice Analytical Services data report collection, https://www.gov.scot/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-justice-analytical-services-data-report/

Contact

Email: jamie.robertson@gov.scot

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