THE family of a murdered teenager have welcomed Scottish Government plans to give victims and relatives more say over the parole system and the release of prisoners.
Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf announced a 12-week consultation on the reforms would start before the year's end, with many ideas based on the “Michelle’s law” campaign.
Michelle Stewart, 17, was murdered by her ex-boyfriend John Wilson, 20, in Drongan in Ayrshire in 2008, who was sentenced to 12 years in jail.
Her family were appalled to learn Wilson was to be granted “temporary release” after only nine years as a prelude to parole, allowing him to return to their home village.
Michelle’s Law would require victims and families to be taken into account as early release and parole were considered; permit “exclusion zones” to restrict offender movements; and improve the Victim Notification Scheme so affected families can raise issues in advance.
In a letter to the Stewart family, Mr Yousaf said the consultation would look at parole rather than early release, but would draw on areas “your family has specifically highlighted”.
He said the government will seek views on improving victim and family representation in the parole process, on licence conditions including “geographical restrictions”, and on victims and families giving evidence to the parole board.
Lisa Stewart, Michelle’s sister said: “Nothing will bring Michelle back but we can make the system better for other victims.
“We welcome the announcement of the public consultation on the parole system as it needs to have more openness and transparency.
“Victims need to be at the heart of the justice system rather than offenders.”
Tory justice spokesman Liam Kerr MSP said: “This a step forward for the Stewart family who have been courageously campaigning for victims and families to have a meaningful role in the justice system.
“The consultation on parole is a good start, but it must be followed by action.
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A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "This was a terrible crime and our sympathies go to Michelle Stewart’s family.
“We will ensure victims and their families have better information and greater support ahead of prison release arrangements.
“We will also consult on improving the openness and transparency of the parole system and strengthen the voice of victims, including the points raised by the Stewart family.”
Meanwhile, the fall-out from another murder has led to a 75% drop in prisoners out on tags.
New rules on home detention curfew [HDC] last month followed the murder of father-of-three Craig McLelland in Paisley in July 2017.
His killer, James Wright, had been “unlawfully at large” for five months after removing his electronic tag and breaching the terms of his HDC.
Colin McConnell, the head of the Scottish Prisons Service, told MSPs on Holyrood’s Justice Committee the new restrictions had cut releases on tags from around 30 to seven a week.
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