The only way to cut the prison the population in Scotland is to send fewer people to prison.

Our current approach, rightly based on punishment, rehabilitation, deterrence and public safety, isn’t working, is expensive in human and financial terms and isn’t delivering that key objective.

Instead of this approach the prison service is dealing with early release, overcrowded prisons and unfair burdens on prison officers. This is the modern version of “Scotland’s Choice”.

High and embarrassing levels of incarceration confirm that Scotland leads western Europe, per head of population, in the number of “people behind bars”.

Despite reductions in prison populations in Europe, especially in the Nordic countries, the prison population of more than 8300 in Scotland today is actually higher than it was in July 2008, when I delivered the report of my Commission “Scotland’s Choice” on the future of prisons in Scotland to Kenny MacAskill the then Cabinet Secretary for Justice.

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My conclusion said: "The Commission recommends that the government pursue a target of reducing the prison population to an average daily population of 5000 guiding the efforts of relevant statutory bodies in achieving it”.

Alex Salmond, attending the launch and sharp as ever, asked why I had included this comment in the report. Responding, I said, “because it was possible, and the right thing to do”. I remain of that opinion, but recognise now that new and radical thinking is required.

Crime and prison policy remains one of the most complex, sensitive, and volatile issues that any government has to deal with. The issue impacts people in a very direct way, evokes fear in communities, stirs the rawest of emotions where the idea of justice can be submerged in anger and frustration.

Our daily prison population is a tiny part of the total number of people in Scotland, but it does........

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