In February 2025, against a backdrop of an increasingly unsustainable prison population, an independent Sentencing and Penal Policy Commission was established by the Scottish Government.

Its remit is to consider how imprisonment and community-based interventions are currently being used and to make recommendations for improvement.

Its members are: 

• Martyn Evans, Chair (retired Chair of the Scottish Police Authority)

• Catherine Dyer, Chair of Community Justice Scotland 

• Cathy Jamieson, former Minister for Justice

• Sheriff David Mackie*

• Dr Hannah Graham,  Senior Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Stirling

• Lynsey Smith, Joint Chair of the Social Work Scotland Justice Standing Committee

(*David Mackie is also HLS’s Convenor.)

On 15 April 2025 it published a Call for Evidence to inform its work. The Call for Evidence asked the following 4 questions and in doing so specifically acknowledged the importance of the McLeish Commission’s 2008 report, ‘Scotland’s Choice: The Report of the Scottish Prisons Commission’:

• What changes could be made to community sentences and other alternatives to prison to reduce crime, protect victims, and create safer communities?

• In your view, what are the priority issues affecting bail and remand? In Scotland, what needs to change and why?

• In your view, what are the priority issues affecting release from prison custody? In Scotland, what needs to change and why?

• Are there any recommendations from the McLeish Commission or subsequent reports by other bodies that haven't been put into action yet but could still be beneficial? 

HLS submitted a response which can be found here.