Scotland will start a phased early release of some short‑term prisoners next week after ministers signed emergency rules aimed at stabilising prisons. The regulations were made on 6 November and take effect on 10 November, with the first releases due between 11 and 13 November. Ministers state the move is necessary and proportionate in light of current pressures inside jails.

Who is covered is tightly drawn. The scheme applies across every Scottish prison, including young offenders institutions, to people serving sentences under four years who are already close to their scheduled liberation date. Eligibility hinges on being within 180 days of release, with checks built in before anyone leaves custody. The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) has confirmed the 180‑day approach and that only short‑term prisoners are in scope.

The timetable matters for councils, police and services on both sides of the Border. Those due for release within 60 days of the rules coming into force are set to leave between 11 and 13 November 2025; those more than 60 but within 120 days between 25 and 27 November; and those more than 120 but within 180 days between 9 and 11 December. Further tranches follow in the new year: 27–29 January 2026; 24–26 February; 24–26 March; and 28–30 April.

There are clear exclusions. Anyone with an unspent conviction for a domestic abuse offence or an offence aggravated by domestic abuse is not eligible, nor is anyone currently subject to a non‑harassment order. People sentenced on or after 28 March 2026 are also out of scope. If a relevant domestic abuse conviction becomes spent before 30 April 2026, a release can be reconsidered. The latest possible date for release under these rules is 30 April 2026.

Operational safeguards sit alongside the law. SPS guidance adds that those serving sentences for sexual offences, terrorism or extended sentences, registered sex offenders and people subject to supervised release orders are excluded. Prison governors can veto any individual release if there is evidence of an immediate risk to a specific person or group.

The backdrop is a prison population that hit a record high in November 2025, with pressure on staff, healthcare and rehabilitation. The Scottish Government’s own briefing says emergency early release between November 2025 and April 2026 is aimed at protecting security, good order and the health and safety of people who live and work in prisons.

For Northern readers-from Northumberland and Cumbria through to the wider North East-the dates give a practical planning window. Councils, housing teams, NHS partners and employers can line up accommodation checks, treatment slots and employment support, while victim services set safety plans and follow‑up appointments. Cross‑border information‑sharing between Police Scotland and forces in the North is routine; this schedule helps everyone work to fixed days.

Victims and families have asked what communication to expect. SPS signposts support for victims and explains how the Victim Notification Scheme fits alongside the emergency programme. Services across the Borders and the North will want to align their own contact points with the November and spring release windows.

Legally, the regulations are made under powers in the Prisoners and Criminal Proceedings (Scotland) Act 1993 and were approved by the Scottish Parliament under the affirmative procedure. They sit alongside the Prisoners (Early Release) (Scotland) Act 2025, which changed the automatic release point for most short‑term prisoners to 40% of sentence, with domestic abuse and listed sexual offences remaining at 50%.

One final detail that matters for frontline teams: if someone’s release cannot take place on the exact dates listed, the rules say they must be freed as soon as reasonably practicable-and in any case no later than 30 April 2026. For councils, charities and probation colleagues across the North, that means planning for fixed days now, with a backstop in late April.