Crackdown slashes number of escapes from Castle Huntly

The drop follows a review of how prisoners are screened in the wake of high-profile escapes, including those of Robert Foye and Brian Martin.

The review has seen the number of offenders moved to the open estate halved from almost 500 to about 250 over the four years.

Despite this, the prison service admits it cannot eliminate the risk that prisoners at Castle Huntly will continue to abscond.

Foye, 31, raped a 16-year-old girl in Cumbernauld in 2007 while on the run from Castle Huntly.

He was serving a ten-year sentence for the attempted murder of a policeman and had been allowed out to attend an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. Martin, known as “The Hawk”, was three years into a ten-year sentence for a crime involving a firearm when he absconded in 2009.

He handed himself back in after a week on the run.

Prison governor Fraser Munro said: “There’s been a steady decrease [in absconding] since we implemented far more robust procedures after Foye and Martin, involving partners in social work.

“We request home background reports and anything from police which might help inform our decisions.”

Among those who have absconded from Castle Huntly in recent months are Jimmy Holland, who was serving eight years for assault and robbery. He was found in bed with prison warder Christine Roberton in her flat.

Robertson, who was naked when discovered by police, was later found guilty of harbouring Holland and jailed for 18 months.

Convicted murderer Daniel Soners, 49, was arrested in Glasgow, having failed to return to Castle Huntly, on 7 March, after being granted home leave.

However, Mr Munro said: “While I appreciate the public’s view that 12 is too many, when you’ve got hundreds of  opportunities to abscond, 12 is fantastic.

“You can hold that record up against any jurisdiction in  Europe.”

Castle Huntly was also praised in an inspection by Her Majesty’s Inspector of Prisons, Brigadier Hugh Monro.

“Absconds are always a concern, yet it is clear from the figures that they have reduced markedly from 66 in 2007-8 to just 12 last year.”

However, he warned more needed to be done to prepare prisoners for release, highlighting weaknesses such as limited educational training and recreational activities, and the lack of a course addressing domestic violence.

“I think the open estate can do even better in ensuring that prisoners have as a good a chance as possible, when they get back out into communities,” he said.