10. Home detention curfew assessments

(Table 1)

Key statistics for 2025-26:

• The number of home detention curfew assessment reports completed was 817 in 2025-26, a decrease of 25% since last year.
• 92% of home detention curfew reports were for males.
• Those between 31 and 40 years old accounted for the highest proportion of home detention curfew reports (41%).

Those serving a custodial sentence can access electronically monitored early release under a home detention curfew (HDC) for a period prior to their scheduled release date. 

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) conducts individual risk assessments for all eligible individuals who apply for HDC release. This determines if they can be managed in the community under curfew and licence conditions. If they pass the risk assessment, SPS requests a community assessment report (CAR) from local authority justice social work to evaluate the suitability of the proposed release address. SPS considers the CAR information when deciding on HDC release.

From 2016-17 to 2017-18, there were at least 2,500 reports a year. This declined in 2018-19 to 1,856 and has fallen further since then, averaging 791 in the next five years. The total of 1,092 in 2024-25 was the highest level in the last six years, there was a decrease of 25% to 817 in 2025-26.

The decline since 2017-18 is the result of a change in the approach to the HDC assessment framework. In 2018, new guidance for SPS's individualised risk assessment for HDC led to a significant decrease in individuals assessed as suitable for HDC release. Consequently, fewer CARs were requested from justice social work departments. Scottish Government, SPS and justice partners are continuing to work to optimise the appropriate use of HDC to assist the release of prisoners in a structured and monitored manner.  

However, the number of individuals who choose to apply for HDC can also be affected by changes in the overall prison population, and by other changes to release processes (such as the Emergency Early Release arrangements from November 2025 and April 2026).

Chart 8: Home detention curfew assessment reports in 2025-26 were below 2024-25 but broadly comparable with the previous five years.

Number of home detention curfew assessment reports completed 2016-17 to 2025-26, Scotland