I start by thanking my officials in the Scottish Government and the parliamentary officials for all their work. I also extend my thanks to all members who have contributed to the debates around the bill. I assure all members that emergency legislation is not my default position. I have appreciated the engagement with members from across the political divide, even when we have disagreed and even though, at times, I have been challenged on the resources for implementation and then, when I have delivered those resources, people have complained about the cost to the Daily Mail or whatever.
Fundamentally, I believe that it is not unreasonable for members of the public, or for any member of the Parliament, to ask how the bill makes them safer and why people are having their sentences reduced. The answer to that is, in short, that we all have a vested interest in rehabilitation but that it has to be rehabilitation that works. Rehabilitation is about challenging people on their behaviour, but it is also about engaging them and the importance of relationships. It is not about enforcement or tick-box exercises.
At the start of the stage 1 debate, both Liams—Liam Kerr and Liam McArthur—made a reference about my having had a hospital pass, which was somewhat wry for me, as a former prison social worker and a former hospital social worker in a psychiatric hospital. There are two things that I know in my bones. I know that, right now, neither Liam would swap places with me, because they both have a luxury that I do not have. Despite the challenges, right now, there is no other job that I would choose to do. I know that I am not alone in this but, for me, this work is deeply personal as well as political.
Yes, I am a 54-year-old woman who has grown up in a society that has endemic misogyny and where violence against women and girls remains endemic and continues to be on the rise. Yes, I am the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs and a former prison social worker—I often forget that I am a politician and still think of myself as a social worker.
There is not a choice between supporting prison staff, supporting victims and supporting prisoners—we have to deliver for everyone. I again go back to the letter that we all received from the Prison Officers Association, which said:
“I don’t think it will come as a surprise to anyone that while we are extremely proud of the incredible work our members are doing on a daily basis in our prisons, we are ... extremely fearful for their physical and mental health the longer they are asked to put themselves in harm’s way”.
That is why I need to take and lead action now. I do not have the luxury of not pursuing every option that is available to me.