« Previous | Contents | Next »
Listen
HM INSPECTORATE OF PRISONS: Report on HM Young Offenders Institution Polmont
1. PREAMBLE
1.1 Polmont might appear to be an uncomplicated prison: it contains only male prisoners under 21, and in some cases up to the age of 23. In reality it is much more complicated. The prisoners it contains are both convicted and unconvicted; convicted prisoners are serving sentences ranging from a few days to life; there are sex offenders and other prisoners on protection who are not sex offenders; some sixteen year olds are very immature and some twenty-one year olds are very mature; and sometimes Polmont contains children who are under sixteen. The range of needs and problems is very great.
1.2 It is more than the mix of prisoners which makes Polmont complicated. It often seems like two prisons in one. Conditions in Argyll and Spey Halls are very bad; and conditions in Iona are very good indeed. "Slopping out" still occurs in Argyll and Spey: which means that under twenty-one prisoners on remand, who have not been convicted of an offence, have no access to toilets during the night (and often during the day when they can be locked up for considerable periods). In many prisons unconvicted prisoners have long and empty days with very little to do, and Polmont is no different. But it is less usual in Scottish prisons that unconvicted prisoners also live in the poorest conditions.
1.3 Iona Hall, on the other hand, was opened in 2003. It provides accommodation which can be described as excellent. The cells are large, bright and airy, there is a separate toilet within each cell, the communal areas are open and fresh, and, even after a year, the whole hall is really clean. In group discussion and in individual meetings, prisoners from Iona Hall consistently reflected the most positive attitudes to their experience of imprisonment ("there is help for anything here if you want it"); and prisoners from the poorest accommodation consistently reflected the most negative attitudes. While it is likely that some of the halls with the worst accommodation will hold prisoners who will be negative about their experience for reasons nothing to do with their accommodation, the effects of good accommodation on prisoners and on prison staff alike are very noticeable in Polmont; and were commented on by staff at all levels and by prisoners during the inspection. In general, relationships between staff and prisoners are good in Polmont; but they are particularly good where the conditions are good.
1.4 It would be easy to record the most negative comments: there is a great deal of despair in Polmont. But the positive comments are also real: When I came to Polmont I thought 'I am not going anywhere for 21 months', so I decided to get the head screwed on….I have come on leaps and bounds …. It has helped me a lot…..Now I can write letters to my Ma and my brother….I want other people no matter how old they are to know there is still a chance for them too if they seek the help…. When I get out I am going to do more classes and get a qualification to be a mechanic.
1.5 In more subtle ways Polmont can appear as two prisons in one. There are two cultures within it. It is both a place where young offenders are called "young adults", where their "adolescence" is recognised. Some staff wear the traditional uniform while others wear informal "sweat-shirt" uniforms. It is a place where (notwithstanding the comments above about generally good relationships) in front of inspectors, staff shout and swear at young adults, and call them by their last names. It is noticeable that Polmont has a low proportion of female officers: might the culture change if that balance were redressed? In one culture Polmont is a huge secure unit for adolescents with adolescent problems and needs; in the other it is a prison which happens to contain young people. The report refers to the "Care Orderly Room" to deal with disciplinary issues around addictions: by some, both staff and prisoners, this is seen as a far-sighted initiative offering treatment instead of punishment, while by others it is seen as a soft option.
1.6 At the time of the inspection the establishment was considering changing the circumstances of Nevis Hall, which has held some of the least cooperative prisoners in Polmont. It is always a difficult decision: is it better to isolate such prisoners in a "downgrade" hall, or to seek to integrate them throughout the establishment? Changes in the regime and the prisoner mix of different halls have been frequent at Polmont. Some of these have been a result of the increase in numbers after most male young offenders in Scotland were transferred to the single site in Polmont in 2003; some have been the result of the building of Iona Hall.
1.7 Such changes can be difficult to manage; and during the inspection, representatives of the Visiting Committee expressed concern about the number and rate of changes. Much more vigorously, however, they expressed concern about the effects of financial cuts on Polmont.
1.8 For years Polmont has struggled with the problem of finding enough useful activity for every prisoner; and the rise in numbers within the last year (which is a result of transfers from other prisons and not the result of increasing numbers of young offenders), has not made that easier. The latest attempt to deal with the problem is "timetabling" - designed to make sure that prisoners have an opportunity for work for at least part of each day. This is an attempt to provide equitable sharing of resources: but if the resources are inadequate then "timetabling" will not fill up useful days, however equitable the sharing of resources. It has not solved the problem. Many young adults spend a great deal of time locked up in cells. Polmont must not allow a "lock-up" mentality to become the normal way of life.
1.9 Among those who spend a great deal of time alone in their cells are children under 16 detained in Polmont. It is not possible for Polmont to provide anything like suitable circumstances, conditions and activity for fourteen and fifteen-year-olds. The report describes the conditions in which they are imprisoned. Children are only held in prison when no other place is available to them: but that does not make it right.
1.10 Almost every source of evidence agreed about one matter. There is not enough food for young men. The Visiting Committee, all prisoners, most members of staff, the catering department and the governor all identified this concern. During the inspection the food was generally good, but the portions were noticeably small.
« Previous | Contents | Next »