Cut overcrowding in jails or face big rise in crime – watchdog

Published on Wednesday 10 June 2009 22:02

SCOTTISH jails are at a "moment of destiny" that will result in a big rise in crime unless urgent steps are taken to tackle overcrowding, according to the outgoing prisons watchdog.

Dr Andrew McLellan ended his seven-year tenure as Scotland's chief inspector of prisons yesterday by warning the country will become "less safe" if controversial proposals to slash the prison population are not followed through.

In an interview with The Scotsman, he bemoaned a "wasted" opportunity to tackle reoffending afforded by a 700 million investment in prisons.

He has joined justice secretary Kenny MacAskill and the head of the Scottish Prison Service in calling for a massive reduction in the number of short-term jail sentences – an SNP plan vehemently opposed by Labour and the Conservatives.

Dr McLellan said living conditions in jails had been "transformed" – but that the ability to rehabilitate inmates had been cancelled out by overcrowding that has seen the prison population jump from 6,000 to more than 8,000 during his time in the post. "I get so depressed when I see that benefit being frittered away, wasted, because of overcrowding," he said.

"The first of these new halls I saw was at Polmont (young offenders' institution]. The prisoners were as near to being positive and motivated and enthusiastic as any I have seen. The staff were the same. But when I went back two years later, because they had to cram so many people into it, all the frustrations and tensions had been repeated.

"It's such a waste to have invested all this money in very good prison accommodation, only to find it's been overtaken by overcrowding.

"Scotland has not had the benefit from that money which we might have had. It could have done so much more good."

He backed a controversial proposal by former first minister Henry McLeish, who headed the Scottish Prisons Commission, to slash inmate numbers by effectively ending sentences of six months or less.

"The prison estate in Scotland is at a moment of destiny," Dr McLellan said. "I think this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity given to us by the McLeish commission."

He added: "One of the real frustrations of the last seven years for me is that people have not been able to hear my clear message that overcrowded prisons, far from making Scotland more safe, make Scotland more dangerous."

Last month Mr MacAskill caused uproar by describing short sentences as "a skoosh".

Asked if he agreed with him, Dr McLellan said short-term sentences were "disappointing as a punishment", adding: "They don't challenge prisoners because they are spending most of their time lying in bed."

This was because there were insufficient staff to supervise inmates in workshops, which he said were the "envy of colleges" but largely unused due to overcrowding.

'Prisoners need drug and drink help outside jail'

DR ANDREW McLellan has called for prisoners to be forced to have drug and alcohol treatment outside jail before they finish their sentences.

He said a recent visit to a prison highlighted the massive scale of addiction problems among Scotland's prisoners.

"Staff told me that of the 23 prisoners admitted last week, 21 had serious addiction problems.

"You can have a philosophical debate around the nature of the link between addiction and crime, but there is no doubt there is an almost universal connection.

"I welcome the work the prison service seeks to do to attack addiction. But I'm not persuaded that can ever be effectively done outside the community.

"In some European countries addictive prisoners have to complete drugs or alcohol courses in the community before the sentence expires."

He told the story of a "star performer" inmate at Polmont who always completed all the rehabilitation courses he was put on. "As soon as he is released on the streets he steals alcohol. He's out of jail for four or five days at the most.

"He's had 17 prison sentences since he was 16 – all because he's stealing alcohol. Now he's 20."

Dr McLellan added: "Alcohol, especially among young prisoners, is at the heart of so much."