Around two-thirds of the inmates at Castle Huntly prison on the outskirts of Dundee are expected to be released to spend Christmas with their families.
Castle Huntly at Longforgan is the only remaining open prison in Scotland, housing around 260 inmates, and the practice of granting home leave over the festive season has become well established in recent years.
The prison deals with low-supervision adult male prisoners, serving sentences of 18 months and over, who have been assessed as suitable for open conditions.
The average stay is six to nine months. The aim is to provide employment training for the prisoners and to help them reintegrate into their communities.
A spokesman for the Scottish Prison Service said: ”We have a provisional figure of around 175 prisoners being released over the Christmas period. This will likely alter slightly for various reasons nearer the time.
”Those who are left will be under the normal regime, with the addition that there will be a traditional Christmas lunch.
”They are released on home leave for a period up to seven days. They are not all released on the same day and it is a phased release that operates.
”There are conditions attached to their licence, most specifically that they will reside at a particular address and will be there between specific times.
”Obviously anyone in breach of the conditions will have their licence revoked and be brought back to prison,” he added.
Meanwhile, it emerged yesterday that one prisoner had decided to take an extended Christmas break.
Police issued an appeal after 44-year-old Peter Mowat, from Maryhill in Glasgow, failed to return to Castle Huntly on Sunday after a week’s home leave.
Mowat was sentenced to five years in prison at the High Court in Glasgow on February 5 2010, after being convicted of offences under the Firearms Act 1968. He was transferred to Castle Huntly last month.
He is described as being 5ft 10in, with short black hair and brown eyes. Anyone who has seen Mowat, or who knows where he is, should call police on 0300 111 2222, or speak to any officer.