The Scottish Government has approved plans for the emergency early release of prisoners, taking place from November 2025 – April 2026.

This will mean that some short term prisoners (serving sentences of under four years) with less than 180 days left to serve could be released earlier than their current release date.

Victims of crime might be understandably worried about these releases and might not know if this will affect them or not. But help is available and you can find out in advance if a prisoner will be released.

This article explains which prisoners will be up for release, what restrictions are in place and how victims of crime can find out if the prisoner in their case will be released.

How to find out if a prisoner will be released

You can find out by signing up to the Victim Notification Scheme (VNS) on the Scottish Prison Service website. If you are already signed up, you don’t need to do anything. You will be contacted if the prisoner in your case will be released.

If you are not signed up to the VNS, or can’t remember if you are, then Victim Support Scotland can help you check and support you to sign up. You can also give consent for VSS to find out a release date on your behalf.

You can contact Victim Support Scotland by calling the helpline on 0800 160 1985 or completing a self-referral form by clicking here.

You can find out how to sign up to the Victim Notification Scheme yourself by clicking here.

Which prisoners will be released?

Only short-term prisoners (those serving sentences of less than four years) who are within 180 days of their original release date will qualify for release.

Certain prisoners will not qualify for release. This includes those convicted of sex offences, domestic abuse offences/unspent convictions for domestic abuse, or if a non-harassment order is in place.

A governor veto process will also apply which allows a prison governor to stop the release of an eligible prisoner if they think they would pose an immediate risk of harm to a specific individual or group of individuals if released.

Others who will not be released include:

  • life sentenced prisoners (including Order of Lifelong Restriction)
  • remand prisoners
  • terrorist prisoners
  • prisoners serving extended sentences
  • prisoners subject to supervised release orders
  • prisoners liable for removal from the UK or subject to extradition and anyone sentenced on or after 28 March 2026

How will you be contacted?

If you are registered on the Victim Notification Scheme, you will automatically be notified by the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) in advance of the prisoner’s release from custody.

If a telephone number is held for you, the SPS will contact you by telephone to let you know when a prisoner is going to be released.

If they can't reach you by telephone and hold an address for you, they will send you a letter with this information instead.

As this is an emergency process, the notification for release is likely to occur close to the release date of the prisoner - but it will still be ahead of their release date. It could be just a few days before their release.

When will prisoners be released?

The early release process will take place from November 2025 to April 2026.

There will be seven points of release, known as tranches, to make sure that not all prisoners are released at once.

The first three tranches will take place every two weeks in November and December 2025, followed by four monthly tranches from January to April 2026.

  • 11 to 13 November
  • 25 to 27 November
  • 9 to 11 December 2025

This page will be updated as further dates in 2026 are confirmed.

Prisoners will be reconsidered for release at each tranche – meaning that although someone might not have 180 days left to serve when the release scheme starts in November, they can still be eligible for release in later tranches.

How many prisoners will be released?

It is estimated that up to 440 prisoners could be released during the initial tranches in November and December.

In 2026, up to 100 prisoners per month could be released in four tranches until the end of April 2026.

How can I access support?

Victim Support Scotland stands ready to support anyone who is impacted by the early release of prisoners. This information can be confusing so please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like help to understand it all.

We can provide emotional support, practical advice and potentially financial assistance through our Emergency Assistance Fund if you are eligible.

If you give us consent, we can also find out on your behalf if a prisoner is going to be released, or help you sign up to the Victim Notification Scheme.

Ways to access support:

  • Helpline (open 8am-8pm Monday-Friday and 10am-4pm Saturday & Sunday): 0800 160 1985
  • Webchat, via bottom corner of our website.

We can support you after any type of crime, and you don’t need to have reported the crime to receive support. Our support is free, confidential and tailored to your needs.