Professor John Robertson OBA

Globally media have been fascinated with this one sex offender mistakenly released in England.

The contrast with Scotland is sharp. Click on this to read our earlier factcheck:

In 2024 there were 262 mistaken prisoner releases in England & Wales but NONE in Scotland

What might explain this enormous contrast?

Prison assaults were pro rata more than TWICE as common in England & Wales than in Scotland

Click on this for the details:

Prison activity time – Lib Dumbs cannot count as trend is upward but assaults remain at half the level of England & Wales

Finally and perhaps most important, the prisoner-to-prison officer ratio in England, is approximately 3.7:1 as of mid-2025:

https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/performance-tracker-2023/prisons

In Scotland, it’s 1.7:1, thus more than twice as well-staffed:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd7rv9yx0x9o

Click to access SPS_Annual_Report_and_Accounts_2024-25.pdf

You can still support Talking-up Scotland at any time at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details or by direct bank transfer method - Bernadette/John Robertson, Sort code 08-91-04, Account 12266421