Scotland’s remand population rose 19 per cent in decade to 2015

The in Prisons in Europe, 2005-2015 report includes data on ten-year trends in Scotland, England & Wales, and Northern Ireland.

From 2005 to 2015, the total number of places in penal institutions grew by 23 per cent (from 6,552 to 8,083 places), the total number of inmates by 14 per cent (from 6,792 to 7,746) and the total number of staff by 11 per cent (from 4,054 to 4,500)

Between 2005 and 2015, the prison population rate increased by nine per cent, from 133 to 145 inmates per 100,000 inhabitants

From 2005 to 2013, the average length of detention based on the number of days spent in penal institutions increased by 33 per cent, from 2.1 months to 2.8 months

From 2005 to 2014, the rate of deaths in penal institutions grew by nine per cent, but the rate of suicides fell by 71 per cent

The number of female prisoners rose by six per cent in the same time period while the percentage of foreign inmates grew by 264 per cent.

The percentage of non-sentenced inmates, remand prisoners, went up by 19 per cent while the average spend per prisoner per day saw an increase of 26 per cent.

Compared to other European countries, in 2014/15 Scotland had a low average length of detention based on the total number of days spent in penal institution.

But its percentage of female inmates and remand prisoners ranked as medium when compared to the other member states.