Scotland’s prison governors raise ‘significant concerns’ about rising jail populations

The Prison Governors’ Association Scotland said staff were under ‘significant strain’

Scotland's prison governors have written to MSPs to raise "significant concerns" about rising jail populations.

Natalie Beal, chair of the Prison Governors’ Association Scotland (PGAS), said staff were under "significant strain" and called for "urgent mitigation" to be considered.

This should include safe emergency release measures, greater use of electronic monitoring, greater use of the open estate and greater use of alternative disposals, she said.

Picture: Danny Lawson

Angela Constance, Scotland’s justice secretary, previously said the acute pressure in prisons was “a great cause of concern” and she was taking action. Speaking last month, she said the prison population had risen from 7,303 to 7,937 over the course of this year – an increase of around 9 per cent.

In a letter to Holyrood’s criminal justice committee, Ms Beal said PGAS wished “to formally raise our significant concerns around prison population pressures and the predicted trajectory of further increase in population numbers”.

She said: “We are equally concerned at the increasing complexity of Scotland’s prison population and the ability to appropriately locate individuals, given the pressures on space. If we continue this path, we are at best providing humane containment, albeit even this may be at a stretch, with many prisons already operating restricted regimes, resulting in the provision of little or no positive rehabilitative work.

"The pressures on staff are already evident, with many prisons facing high sick absence on a daily basis. Increased population numbers will also require increased staffing. Our membership and all staff in prisons already do a very challenging job, but are currently under significant strain."

Ms Beal said the same pressures were affecting prisons across the UK, adding: “The PGAS would welcome the consideration of urgent mitigation in the form of safe emergency release measures, greater use of electronic monitoring, greater use of the open estate and greater use of alternative disposals. Furthermore, we would welcome a principled course of action to develop impactful longer-term, preventative solutions.”

The Scottish Government was approached for comment.

The Prison Officers Association previously said Scotland’s prisons were “dangerously overcrowded” and there were not enough staff to manage the situation. Phil Fairlie, its assistant general secretary, called for an “urgent and properly resourced plan” to tackle the staffing shortfall.

He said: “Prior to the Covid pandemic, we raised repeated concerns at the rise in the prison population without a consequential increase in the number of prison officers. While those numbers dropped during the pandemic, they are increasing again at an alarming rate and we are fast heading to the numbers that caused the concern previously.

"The result is Scotland’s prisons are dangerously overcrowded and we simply do not have enough staff to manage the situation. Prison officers are being put under intense pressure and it is taking its toll on their health and wellbeing."

Last month, Ms Constance said the Scottish Government was taking action, such as via the presumption against short sentences and investment in community justice. She said it had also established a prison population leadership group, consisting of senior representatives from the justice sector and beyond, to identify long and short-term options.