This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Peterhead prison report published
03/06/2003
"Peterhead prison continues to offer a safe and secure
environment, but some of the living conditions are
unacceptable", Scotland's Chief Inspector of Prisons,
Andrew McLellan said today on publication of his HMCIP
report.
The report on Peterhead Prison, which follows a full
inspection in January, also draws attention to the good
relationships between staff and prisoners, built on respect
and trust. A wide range of programmes were also on offer,
aimed at addressing offending behaviour.
However a number of serious concerns are highlighted.
Doubling up in some cells has made poor conditions worse.
The lack of integral sanitation and electric power in cells
have still not been addressed, and while a wide range of
programmes were in place to address offending behaviour,
insufficient programmes were being run to meet the
identified needs of the prisoner population.
Dr McLellan said:
"Overall, Peterhead prison continues to suffer from
under investment and this is having an impact on the
conditions in which prisoners live and staff work.
Continued uncertainty about the long term future of the
prison has also led to low staff morale.
"In terms of safety, Peterhead was a safe prison with
few assaults or incidents of self harm. Levels of drug
misuse were low and staff-prisoners relations were
excellent.
"Was the prison decent? Much of the prison was clean
and tidy and the food was very good. Conditions in some
areas of the prison are however amongst the worst in the
SPS - there is no access to night sanitation, no electric
power in cells and there is doubling up in cells, which are
far too small in any case.
"The use of porta potties should stop immediately and
plans should be implemented which would give all prisoners
access to proper toilet facilities. However, prisoners felt
that access to medical care was restricted, and the use of
shared porta potties as an alternative to proper sanitation
increased the risk of blood borne infection for some
prisoners, in addition to all the other health risks
involved in such sanitation arrangements.
"If long term sex offenders held in Peterhead are
being treated differently from other long term prisoners
simply because they are more compliant, then this must
stop.
"In terms of opportunities to address offending
behaviour a wide range of programmes were on offer aimed at
tackling offending behaviour and preventing re-offending.
The programme with the highest profile is 'STOP' - which is
an intense course targeted at sex offending behaviour. At
the time of inspection 26 prisoners were taking part in
this programme. The target for completion in 2002-03 was
24.
"While targets were being met, there were lengthy
waiting lists for programmes. Overall, Peterhead offers its
prisoners a good choice of group work programmes aimed at
dealing with aspects of offending behaviour, although
provision does not meet identified need. The commitment of
staff throughout the prison to working positively with sex
offenders is impressive."
Scotland's prisons are subject to regular inspection.
A full inspection normally takes place every three years
and examines all aspects of the establishment. Follow up
inspections are carried out in years where a full
inspection does not take place and these examine points of
note raised in previous inspections, examine significant
changes since then, and explore issues arising from the
establishment's own assessment of itself.
The inspection of Peterhead was a full inspection
with a focus on conditions in which prisoners live and on
the way prisoners are treated.