From the Independent today:

Defendants convicted of some of the most serious crimes including rape and burglary will reportedly face delays in going to prison from next week because jails are full. Crown Court sentencing hearings are set to be delayed to keep down prison populations, leaving anyone on bail either free in the community or held in cells in magistrates’ courts.

Figures uncovered by The Independent last week show overcrowding in prisons is nearing breaking point. Most jails are dangerously full, with some holding 70 per cent more inmates than they should, including Wandsworth, from which terror suspect Daniel Khalife is accused of escaping.

Lord Edis, the senior presiding judge for England and Wales, has ordered judges to delay sentencing from Monday, The Times reported.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/prisons-overcrowding-jail-rapists-murder-b2428333.html

What is that SNP Government doing to avert this crisis?

Scotland currently has 137 prisoners per 100 000 population. England & Wales has 144 per 100 000.

Despite a growing population, the prison population of Scotland has been stable for some time at and is not expected to grow beyond 7 600.

https://www.scotpho.org.uk/population-groups/prisoners/data/prison-population/

The prison population in England and Wales is projected to grow to between 93,100 and 106,300 by 2027.

All things being equal, the prison population of England & Wales should be around 11 times higher than that of Scotland, or 83 600. By 2027 it is projected to be around 23 000 or 28% higher.

chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN04334/SN04334.pdf

How have they managed that? Remember Blair? Tough on the causes of crime? More progressive polices to reduce inequality and as an effect of that less crime in the first place.

See:

I know, it started under Labour with some progressive policies reducing poverrty so credit to them for that but the SNP kept it going in a way that current Labour will not.