Yi-pei Chou Turvey
Scottish Liberal Democrats · Scotland
“I move amendment S7M-00469.4, to insert at end: “; further notes the persistently high remand population and the contribution that court delays and wider pressures within the justice system have on overcrowding in the prison estate; believes that public protection, rehabilitation, alternatives to custody and a reduction in reoffending mus…”
Scottish Parliament25 June 2026Source ↗
“Some people are bunked together in, and confined for 23 hours a day in, tiny rooms that were made for one person, in a prison estate that was better suited to previous centuries. That is a serious problem for prison staff, rehabilitation, public confidence and, ultimately, public safety.”
Scottish Parliament25 June 2026Source ↗
“I call on the Scottish Government to invest, plan strategically and more strategically face the facts—in all areas, but especially concerning our prisons. We need the court backlog to be cleared, we need to fix the root cause of offending and we need remand to be reduced where it is safe and appropriate to do so.”
Scottish Parliament25 June 2026Source ↗
“I remind members of my entry in the register of members’ interests, which states that I am still a sitting councillor on Aberdeenshire Council. On the whole, the motion that the Scottish Government has proposed today is fair, and we welcome the Government’s decision to launch a consultation.”
Scottish Parliament25 June 2026Source ↗
“Therefore, I ask those members to listen and be bold enough to agree. I say again that the crisis did not appear overnight; the Scottish Government has known for years that prison numbers were rising. Although we welcome action, we are left wondering why that action is, yet again, reactive instead of proactive.”
Scottish Parliament25 June 2026Source ↗
“Instead of planning ahead for decades, these are, once again, emergency measures. The issue is simple: dangerous offenders should be in prison, victims deserve protection and communities deserve safety. Prison is a punishment, but it should also serve to rehabilitate. We have the tools that are needed to exist in a just society.”
Scottish Parliament25 June 2026Source ↗