This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
Listen
Glenochil Prison
02/12/2004
Glenochil Prison has responded well to issues raised in
the full inspection report of 2003, according to the latest
report from the Chief Inspector of Prisons.
Dr Andrew McLellan's report, based on a follow-up
inspection in September, finds that nearly every matter
that could be resolved has been resolved.
Dr McLellan praises the prison for:
- Starting a major new building programme which will
improve living conditions for prisoners and working
conditions for staff
- Developing a comprehensive new addictions strategy
in conjunction with Forth Valley NHS Board
- Introducing a new induction programme for all
prisoners
- Addressing a number of issues relating to hygiene
and privacy in the health centre
However, two problems remain:
- Some prisoners continue to throw bodily waste and
other litter out of the windows
- The backlog of prisoners waiting to move on from
Glenochil to less secure conditions as part of their
preparation for release
Dr McLellan said:
"The outstanding new development at Glenochil is the
creation of the new house block. In addition, buildings
which once housed the Young Offenders Institution have been
demolished and work has begun on a new Segregation
Unit.
"This is the first step in a very large building
project. Prisoners and staff recognise that the investment
will provide good living and working conditions.
"The response of Glenochil to matters raised in the last
inspection report has been very good.
"This report shows that the prison has made every
possible effort to resolve the issues raised. This
represents both the seriousness with which the prison has
taken the previous report and the hard work of staff.
"However, two problems remain. The first is the
disgusting habit which some prisoners have of throwing
bodily waste and other litter into the exercise yards.
"This practice makes life very unpleasant for those who
have to live and work near those areas and for those
prisoners who have the unhappy job of trying to keep the
yards clean.
"Management and staff take the issue seriously, and are
trying to address it in sensible ways. These include the
involvement of prisoners in planning an environmental
scheme for a more green prison. This strategy is a
reasonable one but the exercise yards are still not
clean.
"The other concern relates to low risk prisoners moving
on from Glenochil to less secure conditions as part of
their preparation for release. Such preparation is
important both for the public and for the prisoners
themselves.
"It is, therefore, unacceptable that they should not be
able to progress from Glenochil when they have reached the
appropriate point in their sentence.
"The statistics are worse now than when last years
report was written. This is because of the increasing
prison population and the lack of spaces in open
prisons.
"Until more spaces become available, prisoners will
continue to be released into the community straight from
Glenochil, without any of the benefits which preparation
for release in open conditions can offer.
"Therefore, although there is no overcrowding at
Glenochil, this prison and its prisoners suffer as a result
of the overcrowding throughout the whole Scottish prison
estate."