Does Scotland have enough prisons ? Or courts ?

Are there enough courts and prisons in Scotland ? I don't think there are, and it results in worse outcomes for everyone. This while also believing that prison isn't the best way to handle offenders.

There are too many stories in the news about people on remand for months due to delays and backlogs in the courts, about people going free due to the sheriff sentencing them to time already served, about prisoners being released early to make room, and so on.

People on remand get shuffled around, there's no continuity, which means they never calm down. Prisons being overfull means remand prisoners have to be shuffled around because the prison they left in the morning might not have space for them in the evening. Overfull prisons mean staff have difficulty keeping things under control, so they have to lock prisoners up 23hrs a day. All this makes remand prisoners mental health decline, sometimes to the point where they're not fit to stand trial so their case gets delayed again. Bear in mind that remand prisoners are merely accused, rather than convicted, so are innocent until proven guilty. Which also means they're not eligible for rehabilitation courses, not that they'd benefit because of the lack of continuity due to being shuffled to make room. Which also means anyone sentenced to time served will have had zero rehabilitation at all.

Meanwhile for the convicted, sudden early release due to lack of room means early termination of any rehabilitation they were on, and insufficient preparation for freedom, which places them at greater risk of reoffending. And with early release, prisoners who haven't been reformed, are back in society to commit more crime.

Overfull prisons are also a danger to the staff, causing low morale and poor mental health for them as well.

So with all this lack of continuity, termination of rehabilitation, lack of preparation for life outside, it all results in offenders being returned to society with little or no ability to avoid returning to criminal activity.

So while I am sceptical about prisons effectiveness, I think there aren't enough prisons and courts.

Get the offenders tried, get them into a stable environment with enough continuity so that those offenders who can be rehabilitated and reformed can be, and those that can't are out of circulation.

Cos the current situation is doing nobody any good at all.