Members of Parliament will vote on emergency plans to release 550 prisoners early due to overcrowding

More than 500 prisoners are to be released from prison under emergency legislation from the end of June if MPs approve the new rules.

Justice Secretary Angela Constance has published regulations that will see around 550 eligible prisoners released in four tranches next month.

There were 8,313 people in Scottish prisons on Wednesday – down slightly from 8,348 when Constance announced her plans two weeks ago.

She warned then that there had been an unprecedented increase in the prison population of around 400 since March 18, putting the prison grounds at “critical risk”.

Rules on the early release of prisoners and victim supporters on prescription will be submitted to MPs within two weeks and are expected to come into force on June 13.

If approved, people serving a sentence of less than four years who are due to be released within six months will be eligible for release under Section 11 of the Bail and Release from Custody (Scotland) Act.

However, the Scottish Conservatives have already confirmed they will not support the emergency legislation due to public safety concerns.

Prisoners serving life sentences and those convicted of terrorism-related violence, sexual violence or domestic violence will not be eligible.

Prison governors will also have veto power to prevent the release of an eligible inmate they deem to pose an “imminent risk” to a group or individual.

Ms Constance said releases would take place in “tranches” to “safely resettle” the prisoners involved.

She said: “As a result of the rapid increase in prisoner numbers, early emergency release has become necessary to ensure the safety and well-being of Scottish Prison Service staff and those in their care, creating an unprecedented situation.

“This increase in the prison population of approximately 400 over the last two months is significant, could not have been predicted and cannot be ignored. It is also similar to the challenges facing the UK as a whole.

“Protecting the public remains my number one priority and that is why significant and robust safeguards are in place.

“I understand the concerns victims may have, which is why listed victim support organizations will receive information about a prisoner’s release date under the emergency release procedure, at the request of the victim they support, to enable a more trauma-informed approach.

“This is part of a significant package of measures we are taking in both the short and long term to deal with rising prison numbers. As we move forward with the proposals, I will continue to engage with Parliament, victims’ organizations, local authorities and other key partners.”

But Tory justice spokesman Russell Findlay said: “In just a few days the SNP government has increased the number of prisoners it wants to release early by 10%.

“Getting out of it when all the attention is on their expenses – digging into MSP costs is tacky, even by their standards.

“The public deserves full knowledge of how many criminals will be released, when that will happen and what measures will be taken to protect the public.”